'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
DJ Hed has claimed that Universal Music Group (UMG) is profiting from Drake's new album despite their ongoing legal skirmish. Called $ome $exy $ongs 4 U (shortened to $$$4U), the album was dropped on February 14, 2025, and is a collaborative effort between Drizzy and PartyNextDoor. It also contains guest appearances by Chino Pacas and Pim Yebba.
On January 15, 2025, Drake's legal team filed an 81-page federal lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG), alleging that they "launched a campaign against him by promoting [Kendrick Lamar's] Not Like Us, which accused Drizzy of being a p*dophile."
Interestingly, UMG distributes the music of both Drake and Kendrick Lamar.
In the lawsuit filed at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Drizzy sought nominal, compensatory, and punitive damages against UMG. A few weeks after filing the lawsuit, the Toronto rapper dropped his highly anticipated album, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U. It was also his first full-length album after his infamous diss-track feud with Kendrick Lamar.
Trending
In episode 36 of his show, The Bigger Picture: A Hip Hop Debate Show, DJ Hed discussed the complexities of Drake's new release amid his ongoing legal feud with UMG.
According to DJ Hed, Drizzy's new release is lucrative for UMG despite the legal trouble.
"I see people on both sides of the fence saying 'well, why would they let him drop music if he's suing?'" he began. "But it would prove their point if they didn't allow him to drop music. They just want to make money."
DJ Hed continued:
"Record companies just want to make money. They don't give a f*ck about your cause, they don't give a f*ck about who died, they don't give a f*ck. They just want to make money. So, they don't care about who they make money with."
He further claimed that UMG is cashing on every song in the album that is labelled as a solo Drake musical number. He further pointed out that two of the flagship songs of the album were solo Drake songs.
Drake's legal team recently vowed to "expose UMG's gross prioritization of his own corporate profits"
Drake's legal team issued a public statement ahead of Kendrick Lamar's iconic headlining performance at the Super Bowl LIX halftime show at the Caesar Superdome on February 9, 2025.
The same day, Drizzy's legal team released a statement through the New York Times, claiming that UMG was "masquerading as a champion of artistic freedom."
It also accused the label of always prioritizing its corporate profits. Referring to their prior accusation of UMG accelerating K Dot's Not Like Us through artificial means, the statement said:
“There is nothing entertaining about p*dophilia or child abuse in the real world. We are confident that the evidence we will ultimately present at trial, including information we’ve already learned and continue to receive since filing the lawsuit, will expose UMG’s gross prioritization of its own corporate profits and executive bonuses over its exclusively signed artists’ well-being and the truth.”
Curiously, Kendrick Lamar performed the iconic diss track during his headlining performance at the Caesar Superdome. However, he self-censored some parts, including the word 'p*dophile.'
