Drake has filed his second legal claim against Universal Music Group, this time around accusing the company of defamation by releasing Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.” The Toronto rap superstar filed a “pre-action” petition in a Texas federal court on Monday night, claiming that by releasing Kendrick Lamar’s Drake diss track, “Not Like Us,” – which includes “false” claims by Lamar that Drake is a “pedophile” and a “predator” – Drake alleges that UMG along with iHeartRadio both aided in defaming his character. “UMG … could have refused to release or distribute the song or required the offending material to be edited and/or removed,” Drake’s lawyers wrote. “But UMG chose to do the opposite. UMG designed, financed and then executed a plan to turn ‘Not Like Us’ into a viral mega-hit with the intent of using the spectacle of harm to Drake and his businesses to drive consumer hysteria and, of course, massive revenues. That plan succeeded, likely beyond UMG’s wildest expectations.” (Consequence of Sound)
