The Ongoing Fight: UMG’s Handling of “Not Like Us”
A separate, civil dispute focuses on UMG’s alleged role in promoting Kendrick Lamar’s smash “Not Like Us,” which includes lyrics Drake says defamed him. On January 15, 2025, Drake filed a federal defamation lawsuit against UMG, alleging the company prioritized profits and promotion despite defamatory content. UMG called the claims “illogical”and moved to dismiss, arguing the lyrics are non-actionable opinion and “rhetorical hyperbole” protected by the First Amendment.
Before that lawsuit, Drake pursued pre-action petitions in late 2024 claiming UMG used bots, cut sweetheart licensing rates, and orchestrated pay-for-placement to supercharge the song’s performance. UMG publicly rejected the narrative: “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.”
The pressure escalated again on August 12, 2025, when filings reported by Digital Music News and others showed Drake’s legal team seeking CEO-level discovery—emails and texts from Grainge himself—arguing UMG is “improperly shielding its CEO.” UMG maintains its denials and continues to press dismissal. This is a discovery fight about access to the top of the corporate pyramid, not a criminal proceeding.
