Drake Files Lawsuit Over Kendrick Lamar’s Diss Track ‘Not Like Us’

Drake just won’t take the L and move on. The Canadian-born child-actor-turned-rapper has reportedly filed a lawsuit over Kendrick Lamar’s song “Not Like Us,” which was part of a series of diss tracks the two men hurled back and forth at each other earlier this year.

According to TMZ, Drake alleges that Universal Music Group “used bots and a payola scheme” to inflate the popularity of “Not Like Us.” According to the legal documents obtained by the outlet, Drake claims an “inside source” advised him that UMG made “covert payments” to various media institutions, such as radio stations, to play and promote Kendrick’s song.

This is called payola in legal jargon, and it is a practice prohibited by the Federal Communication Commission (FCC).

Drake noted instances in the past where UMG was forced to make settlement payments over this, like when the label paid $12 million to the New York Attorney General’s Office for a “pay for play” scheme in 2006.

Additionally, Drake claims a whistleblower has accused UMG management of “spending thousands in May 2024 on ‘bots’ in order to get [“Not Like Us”] to 30 million streams on Spotify,” as well as paying influencers to promote the song on social media.

The “God’s Plan” rapper claims that UMG dropped copyright restrictions on “Not Like Us” so that influencers could post the song repeatedly, which contributed to its massive success.

As for why he filed the lawsuit, Drake says he’s seeking to understand how “UMG funneled payments to iHeartRadio and its network of stations.” Once he has the information, he’s planning to mount a civil fraud and racketeering case against the label and any co-conspirators.

TMZ pointed out that UMG also distributes Drake’s music. At this time, UMG does not appear to have responded to the lawsuit.