Drake Files Second Legal Action Against Universal Music Over Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us”

Drake has intensified his legal battle against Universal Music Group (UMG) by filing a second action over Kendrick Lamar’s hit song Not Like Us. Released earlier this year at the height of the artists’ public feud, the track allegedly contains defamatory lyrics accusing Drake of being a sex offender.

Drake’s legal team claims UMG could have stopped the release of the song but instead chose to promote it aggressively, turning it into a “viral mega-hit.” According to the filing, the label used the song’s controversial lyrics to incite “consumer hysteria” and generate massive profits.

This new legal action, filed in Texas on Monday, comes a day after Drake filed a similar claim in New York accusing UMG of unlawfully boosting the song’s reach on Spotify. The Texas filing broadens the allegations, involving iHeartRadio, a major radio network with over 850 stations. Drake’s lawyers allege UMG engaged in a “pay-to-play scheme” to promote Not Like Us across iHeart’s platforms, which played the song more than 25 million times within four months of its release.

Although not a formal lawsuit, the action is intended to preserve relevant documents and evidence for potential future litigation. UMG has called Drake’s accusations “offensive and untrue,” and iHeartRadio has not commented on the filing.

The escalating legal battle underscores the high stakes and tensions between Drake, UMG, and Kendrick Lamar as the controversy over Not Like Us continues to unfold.