Drake's feud with Kendrick Lamar has taken an unexpected turn into the courtroom. Much of 2024 has been dominated by headlines revolving around the two artists, with both men sending each other verbal jabs through multiple songs. It was K. Dot's "Not Like Us" that those following the beef considered a win for Kendrick. Except, now, the song has created something bigger than rap.

Billboard first broke the story that Drake has now initiated legal action against Universal Music Group, alleging that the music label conspired to artificially inflate the streaming numbers of Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us." In addition, he's initiated a second legal action of defamation against UMG, under the pretense that UMG distributed the song despite knowing Kendrick's song featured allegations of criminality against Drake.

It's a rather complex case that Drake is involved in, and one that Kendrick Lamar isn't as involved in as some may think. A breakdown is necessary to fully understand the intricacies of this situation.

How The Beef Between Kendrick Lamar And Drake Began

A Rap Conflict Dating Back to Late 2023

On October 6, 2023, Drake released his eighth studio album, For All the Dogs, where the sixth track of the project was "First Person Shooter" featuring J. Cole. Both artists asserted themselves at the top of the rap food chain in any G.O.A.T. conversation. Cole in particular stated that himself, Drake, and Kendrick were the Big Three of hip hop, with J. Cole implying he was the best of the three.

Love when they argue the hardest MC / Is it K. Dot, is it Aubrey, or me? / We the big three like we started a league / But right now, I feel like Muhammad Ali

Kendrick encouraged the competitive venom in Cole's voice, because in March for Future and Metro Boomin's collab album, WE DON'T TRUST YOU, Dot responded in his verse.

Kendrick Lamar discredited Cole and Drake "clickin' up" just to sneak diss him on the song. Adding that there could be no Big Three when "it's just Big Me," Lamar sends a direct shot at Drake, who on "First Person Shooter" compared himself to Michael Jackson. Kendrick compared himself to one famous Minnesotan, reminding everyone that "Prince outlived Mike Jack." J. Cole would publicly remove himself from the beef, turning it into Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar.

Drake and Kendrick Lamar started to trade song responses back and forth at each other. After songs like "euphoria," it quickly became evident that their gripe with each other was bigger than music. Drake took the gloves off by mentioning Kendrick's children and wife (who Drake alleges to have had an affair with Dave Free, the co-founder of Kendrick's pgLang company). This prompted Kendrick to accuse Drake of being a deadbeat and imply he's a pedophile on "meet the grahams." 14 hours later, those claims became more pronounced upon dropping "Not Like Us," the biggest record of the summer.

Why Is Drake Suing UMG Over Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us?"

Beef Bigger Than Rap

Following the immense, chart-topping popularity of "Not Like Us," it appeared as if the beef between the two died down, until Kendrick Lamar released GNX, which was enough to bring the feud and the impact of the song back into conversation. Days after the album was released, news broke about Drake's lawsuit against UMG. Interestingly, UMG distributes music from both parties.

In a pre-action petition (meaning this isn't a full lawsuit yet) filed out of a Manhattan courtroom by Drake's Frozen Moments LLC, the LLC accuses UMG of using payola and bots (among other resources) to illegally boost the numbers on "Not Like Us." Drake's filing breaks down the position:

"Streaming and licensing is a zero-sum game. Every time a song 'breaks through,' it means another artist does not. UMG's choice to saturate the music market with 'Not Like Us' comes at the expense of its other artists, like Drake."

Variety report that UMG has been alleged to have attempted to license the song at "drastically reduced rates to Spotify and using 'bots' to generate the false impression that the song was more popular than it was in reality." The petition also alleges that UMG "have used similar tactics with other streaming services. On information and belief, UMG paid, or approved payments to, Apple Inc. to have its voice-activated digital assistant 'Siri' purposely misdirect s to 'Not Like Us.'" Drake's attorneys are claiming UMG violated the same RICO Act used in organized crime cases.

Universal contested the allegations in a statement:

"The suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue. We employ the highest ethical practices in our marketing and promotional campaigns. No amount of contrived and absurd legal arguments in this pre-action submission can mask the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear."

What Does This Mean For The Music Industry If Drake Wins?

A Potentially Big Ripple Effect Across The Industry

In short, Drake is not suing Kendrick Lamar for anything alleged in the song, but has sights set on the label for distributing the song in spite of what he says are false claims and falsely inflating listening numbers. Social media s have already been quick to respond to the shocking move, despite Drake's right to defend himself, and preserve his legacy.

Whether Drake is successful, or seeks further legal action, it's important to entertain the question of his victory and the ramifications. Well, for starters, as another UMG labelmate, it puts Drake's own success under scrutiny. Beyond that, this could prove to be a major leap in exposing backdoor practices of record labels that hurt other artists, potentially placing borders in place to prevent similar means. Still, though, it's an uphill battle for Drake, as with or without the numbers, most agree Kendrick Lamar's song was organically successful and played everywhere.

Source: Billboard, Variety