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Canadian Rapper Aubrey Drake Graham’s lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG) has met an unexpected turn. The lawsuit was filed in January 2025 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District, alleging defamation against him through Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us. According to an exclusive report by AllHipHop, the Canadian rapper has agreed to roll back some of his allegations in the lawsuit.
The report mentioned that UMG attempted to postpone the pretrial conference, claiming that Drake’s lawsuit might not be strong enough to proceed in court. UMG’s attorney, Rollin A. Ransom, has officially asked to delay the April 2, 2025, hearing. They plan to submit a request to dismiss the case by March 17, 2025. The filing noted:
“Plaintiff has agreed to withdraw certain key allegations in his complaint. We understand that Plaintiff opposes adjournment of the conference because he wants to start discovery, but discovery is premature for the same reasons.”
Neither Drake nor UMG has revealed which parts of the lawsuit the rapper is withdrawing from. In the lawsuit, he claimed that UMG approved, promoted, and launched a campaign to turn a rap song into a viral hit, one that falsely accused him of being a pedophile and encouraged violence against him.
He requested compensation, including punitive and compensatory damages and legal fees, though the exact amount would be determined at trial. He also wanted a judge to declare that the statements in Not Like Us were false and prevent UMG from making further claims about the song’s success.
More about Drake’s lawsuit against UMG
According to Today, the rapper’s lawyers from Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP stated on January 15, 2025, that the lawsuit aimed to hold UMG responsible for deliberately spreading false and damaging claims about him.
They argued that starting on May 4, 2024, UMG used its influence as a leading music company to push a harmful narrative that damaged the rapper’s reputation and even led to real-world violence at his home.
They alleged that UMG prioritized profit over the well-being of its artists by releasing the song despite knowing the allegations against him were untrue.
When Drake officially filed his lawsuit on January 15, 2025, UMG called the accusations false and dismissed the idea that they would intentionally harm one of their artists. The label pointed out that they had heavily invested in Graham’s music and worked for years to support his success.
UMG also claimed that Drake used their platform to distribute his music and engage in public rap battles with other artists. They argued that he was misusing the legal system to suppress another artist’s creative work and hold UMG responsible for promoting that music.
Previously, in November 2024, Drake’s legal team filed a petition accusing UMG of artificially inflating the popularity of Not Like Us on Spotify through bots and payola. That petition was withdrawn on January 14, 2025, but similar claims have resurfaced in the new lawsuit.
In response to the initial petition, UMG denied any wrongdoing, stating that their marketing practices are ethical and that fans decide which music they want to stream.
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