Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar: The Lawsuit Over “Not Like Us” Escalates
Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar: The Lawsuit Over “Not Like Us” Escalates
The rivalry between Drake and Kendrick Lamar has officially escalated to a legal battle as Drake filed a lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG) and Kendrick Lamar on January 14, 2025, alleging that Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us” defamed him by calling him a “certified pedophile.”
Key Developments in the Lawsuit
January 14, 2025: Drake sues UMG in federal court, accusing the label of defamation, harassment, and fraud for distributing and promoting “Not Like Us”—a song that labeled him as a “certified pedophile.” Drake claims the allegations are completely false and have led to violence and relentless public criticism against him. He previously withdrew a state court lawsuit to gather more information before filing this case.
November 26, 2024: Drake’s legal team files a second lawsuit against UMG in Texas, accusing the label of paying iHeartRadio to boost airplay of “Not Like Us” despite knowing that the song contained false accusations against him.
November 25, 2024: Drake’s company, Frozen Moments LLC, files a lawsuit in New York, alleging that UMG artificially inflated streaming numbers for “Not Like Us” on Spotify using bots and licensed the song at a discount to drive its success.
Timeline of the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar Feud
November 22, 2024: Kendrick Lamar releases his new album “GNX”, which contains several references to his beef with Drake. In “wacced out murals”, he expresses surprise that Snoop Dogg reposted Drake’s diss track “Taylor Made Freestyle,” while “heart pt. 6” references previous diss tracks.
November 8, 2024: “Not Like Us” receives five Grammy nominations, including “Record of the Year” and “Song of the Year”, while Drake receives no nominations.
September 8, 2024: Kendrick Lamar is announced as the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show headliner—a major career win. However, some fans believe Lil Wayne should have been chosen instead. Drake seemingly fuels the controversy by posting a picture of Lil Wayne on his Instagram.
July 4, 2024: Kendrick Lamar releases the “Not Like Us” music video, which mocks Drake in several ways, including a scene where Lamar does push-ups (a reference to Drake’s diss track “Push Ups”) and another where Lamar dances with Whitney Alford, possibly refuting Drake’s allegations of domestic abuse.
June 19, 2024: Kendrick performs his Drake diss tracks live at his “The Pop Out: Ken & Friends” concert in Los Angeles, where he plays “Not Like Us” five times in a row, joined by celebrities like Dr. Dre, YG, DeMar DeRozan, and Russell Westbrook.
Drake’s Counterattacks
May 5, 2024: Drake releases “The Heart Part 6”, where he denies Lamar’s accusations and reveals that he and his team fed Lamar false information, including rumors about a secret daughter, to bait him into using it in a diss track.
May 24, 2024: Drake appears on Sexyy Red’s song “U My Everything”, where he mocks the viral nickname “BBL Drizzy”, embracing the insult while taking a shot at Lamar.
May 11, 2024: Kendrick’s “Not Like Us” debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, while Drake’s “Family Matters” only reaches No. 7.
May 7, 2024: “Not Like Us” breaks Spotify streaming records, becoming the most-streamed U.S. hip-hop song in a single day, with 6.59 million plays.
May 9, 2024: A security guard at Drake’s Toronto mansion is shot in a drive-by incident. While there is no confirmed link to the rap feud, Lamar previously used a Google Maps image of Drake’s house as the cover art for one of his diss tracks, adding to speculation.
Is This the End or Just the Beginning?
Drake is actively pursuing legal action against Universal Music Group, while Kendrick Lamar dominates the rap scene, winning multiple Grammy awards and preparing for the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show.
The big question now: Will Drake make a major comeback, or has Kendrick Lamar officially ended one of the biggest rap feuds in history?
