Drake has continued his courtroom fight against Universal Music Group, filing more legal documents related to the release of Kendrick Lamar’s smash hit “Not Like Us.”
In a pre-lawsuit filing late Monday night, Drake accused UMG — which also distributes his music — of defamation for releasing “Not Like Us,” Billboard reported on Tuesday.
The song was released in May amid the rappers’ high-profile feud, which saw Drake and Lamar trade scathing diss tracks over the course of a few months.
The documents focus on the song’s description of Drake as a “certified pedophile,” according to Billboard. The Canadian rapper has denied those allegations.
Drake’s filing argues that UMG had the power to stop the release of “Not Like Us” and prevent the false claims from spreading, but instead chose to boost the song into a No. 1 hit. The track dominated the airwaves throughout the summer, with millions listening to Lamar’s accusations as the beef continued to escalate.
Lamar himself was not named as a potential defendant in either of Drake’s legal actions and has not responded publicly.
The first filing came Monday afternoon in Manhattan and accused UMG and Spotify of artificially inflating the popularity of “Not Like Us” through bots, payola and other schemes. Neither filing is a formal lawsuit but a pre-litigation action, used to inform parties about potential upcoming lawsuits.
Drake’s second set of documents was filed Monday night in Texas. Along with UMG, the docs also accuse iHeartRadio of participating in a scheme to increase the popularity of “Not Like Us.”
“The suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue,” a UMG spokesperson said in a statement after the New York filing. “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.”
Both legal filings came on the first business day after Lamar released surprise album “GNX,” which continued to prod Drake in several lines.
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