"If I was a Taylor Swift, y'all would protect me": Journalist breaks down Drake's detailed feud with UMG amid Kendrick scandal

Drake takes legal action against Universal Music Group for allegedly inflating the popularity of Kendrick Lamar
Drake takes legal action against Universal Music Group for allegedly inflating the popularity of Kendrick Lamar's Not Like Us song (Image via champagnepapi/Instagram)

On Monday, November 25, Drake initiated legal action against Universal Music Group for allegedly artificially inflating the popularity of Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us Drizzy-diss track.

As the music label released a statement denying the allegations, journalist Loren Lorosa took to social media to claim that a source from Drizzy’s crew told her that the legal action comes in the midst of Drizzy’s upcoming deal with the label.

Drake’s Frozen Moments LLC accused UMG of using Spotify, bots, payola, and other methods to boost Kendrick Lamar’s streaming numbers artificially. Drizzy also alleged that UMG paid or approved payments to Apple, Inc. to have its Siri voice assistant misdirect users to the Not Like Us song. The petitioner said in the legal filing as per Variety:

“UMG did not rely on chance, or even ordinary business practices. It instead launched a campaign to manipulate and saturate the streaming services and airwaves.”

As the news of Drizzy’s legal filing made headlines, journalist Loren Lorosa took to social media to claim that inside sources from Drizzy’s camp told her that the rapper:

“Feels as if his label UMG.. is using money he’s made them to fund Kendrick Lamar’s song burying him amidst a sensitive label negotiation he’s currently in.”

The journalist also shared on X that she was told that Drake feels:

“If I was taylor swift a lot of things would not of happened in this whole Drake and Kendrick back and forth.”

More about Drake’s rumored deal with UMG as rapper takes legal action against the music label

It is worth noting that both Drake and Kendrick Lamar are signed to Universal Music Group. Journalist Lorosa explained that Drizzy was allegedly in negotiations with UMG for a new deal. Drizzy was allegedly making $400 million through UMG; however, with a new deal coming forward, the One Dance crooner was asking for $600 million from the label. Lorosa added:

“So basically he [Drake] felt like the label did everything to make Kendrick Lamar’s song the biggest song, this is all alleged, to basically disvalue him [Drake], so that now he’s at a point where no label was going to wanna give more money than the deal that he just got because he’s having a hard time right now… because everything Kendrick did is doing so well.”

The journalist explained that Drizzy not releasing any new music and his 100 Gigs content release’s failure added to him not getting the deal he wished from UMG.

Drizzy is supposedly alleging that the music label is “cornering him.”

The social media journalist also alleged that Drizzy asked the music label to ensure that his house’s location was not used in the Not Like Us music video, which the label evidently did not accept, as his house was featured in the record-breaking music video.

Drizzy’s “pre-action” petition that is filed under the New York Supreme Court has also alleged that UMG violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, which is used in criminal cases against organized crime.

In response to the allegations, UMG said to Billboard that claims of them doing “anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue.” They added:

“We employ the highest ethical practices in our marketing and promotional campaigns. No amount of contrived and absurd legal arguments in this pre-action submission can mask the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear.”

It is worth noting that the pre-action petition is not a full lawsuit. This procedure aims to secure further information before a lawsuit is filed.

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Edited by Sezal Srivastava
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