Drake continues to lose street cred over his defamation lawsuit against his record label, Universal Music Group. The drama started last year when the rapper filed a complaint in a NYC state court. He accused the production company of internationally promoting Kendrick Lamar‘s Not Like Us diss track to undermine his career.
Although he withdrew his initial complaint, Drake doubled down on his allegations in a new defamation lawsuit. The 81-page document largely bashed Lamar’s song as dangerous and filled with fraudulent claims. He argued the song repeatedly suggested that violence should be used against him for being an alleged pedophile. However, Drake’s lawyers made a grave error while addressing Lamar’s origins in their argument about his song. The mistake read:
“Later, the Recording threatens that if Drake comes to Oakland, where Lamar grew up, he will not make it out alive: ‘I think that Oakland show gon’ be your last stop.'”
Contrary to Drake’s attorneys, Lamar was born and raised in Compton, which he frequently referenced in his music. The Hip-Hop sensation only mentioned Oakland in Not Like Us as a response to Drake’s Taylor Made diss track. In the song, the Canadian-born rapper used an A.I.-generated voice of Tupac, which Lamar saw as disrespectful.
Since the late Tupac originated from Oakland, Lamar’s lyrics suggested the city would retaliate against Drake. The origin error turned more fans from the rapper’s side, with TMZ reporting many disapproved of his defamation lawsuit. X users reacted to the mistake, with someone sharing a meme that read, “Who the f— are these people talking about?” Another expressed excitement for the legal drama, writing, “I can’t wait for this to get crazy.”
Inside Drake’s Defamation Lawsuit Against His Record Label
We covered that Drake sued his record label for defamation on Wednesday morning at the federal court in NYC. He accused UMG of spreading the “false and malicious narrative” of him being a pedophile to destroy his image. By devaluing his music and brand with the allegations, they could have the upper hand in future contract negotiations.
The Toosie Slide hitmaker supported his claims with receipts of the label’s alleged schemes to ruin his career. He claimed they paid a third party to increase the song’s streams by at least 30 million using bots. Additionally, UMG engaged in a “pay for play” scheme with at least one radio promoter to boost Lamar’s song.
Drake’s allegations continued with claims of UMG labeling the diss track a “chart-topper” to reach a larger audience. He noted they attempted to promote the song on a massive stage at the Super Bowl Halftime Show. According to the rapper, his label played a significant role in getting Lamar the upcoming NFL gig.
Besides his image and brand suffering from Lamar’s diss track, Drake alleged his safety was at risk. He claimed that since the song dropped, there had been shootings at or near his Toronto mansion. He painted a dire picture, noting one of his security guards got shot during an incident.
Drake stressed in his defamation lawsuit that he was not against Kendrick Lamar for writing the diss track. Instead, he wished to hold his record label accountable for promoting a song that labeled him a “certified pedophile.” Can he win this case?
