Drake's 'Not Like Us' Process Against UMG May Last 3 Weeks

Quelle: VIDEOELEPHANT (Glomex)

The Canadian rapper Drake is preparing for a potentially lengthy legal battle against the Universal Music Group as settlement talks have not taken place yet. According to the lawsuit filed in November, the case is expected to last three weeks, during which the rapper will appear before a New York jury. The rapper, whose real name is Aubrey Drake Graham, is suing the music company over allegedly defamatory claims. The dispute began when his fellow rapper Kendrick Lamar released his hit 'Not Like Us,' in which he suggests that Drake is a 'certified pedophile.' Drake claims in his lawsuit that Universal disregarded his well-being and instead capitalized on the defamatory statements. 'UMG brazenly continued to release and promote the [song], even after [Drake's] home was attacked by an armed man, after his businesses were disrupted, after [Drake] alerted UMG to the falsity of the accusations, and after UMG knew that the public took the accusations as true statements of fact,' said Drake's legal team. Universal sought the dismissal of the lawsuit, calling it 'illogical' and accusing Graham of wanting to 'silence' Lamar's creative artistic expression. Graham was recently granted access to the record company's documents, including copies of Lamar's record contract and information about the salaries of senior executives. A recent ruling by Judge Jeannette A. Vargas denied the record company's request for a pause in the evidence gathering. During his performance of 'Not Like Us' at the 2025 Super Bowl, Lamar seemed to directly attack Graham by looking into the camera when he said the line 'Say, Drake, I hear you like them young.' The halftime show sparked a wide online discussion among rap fans and social media users, further fueling the accusations against Graham. Fans speculated that Drake was mocking Lamar by using a visual filter in his 'Nokia' music video that was very similar to the one in Lamar's 'Not Like Us,' suggesting an intentional reference. A hearing on Universal's motion to dismiss the lawsuit is set to take place in June 2025.