The simmering rivalry between Drake and Kendrick Lamar has erupted into a legal battlefield, with the Toronto-born artist filing multiple court notices accusing major music companies of sabotaging his career to elevate Lamar’s chart-topping diss track, Not Like Us.
The incendiary song, released earlier this year, takes aim at Drake with provocative lyrics hinting at damaging allegations. Lines such as, “Drake, I hear you like ’em young,” have fueled the controversy, with the track going viral across streaming platforms.
Drake, legally known as Aubrey Drake Graham, has targeted Universal Music Group (UMG) and iHeartMedia in separate filings this week, alleging unethical tactics behind the song’s meteoric rise. In Texas’s Bexar County District Court, Drake claimed UMG orchestrated a campaign to ensure Not Like Us dominated the airwaves, leveraging bots and questionable marketing deals.
The artist echoed these accusations in a New York Supreme Court filing, where he implicated both UMG and Spotify. His statement alleged that UMG’s aggressive promotion strategy prioritized Lamar’s success at the expense of other artists on its roster, including Drake himself.
“Streaming is a zero-sum game,” Drake argued in court documents. “When one song is artificially boosted, others are suppressed. UMG’s actions have come at my expense.”
Universal has fiercely denied the allegations, calling Drake’s claims “offensive and untrue.” In a statement, the company defended its promotional practices as ethical and transparent, emphasizing that fans—not manipulation—drive hits.
The tension between the two rap icons traces back to Lamar’s 2013 verse on Control, where he took aim at Drake and other industry heavyweights. Though initially downplayed, the feud has since escalated into one of hip-hop’s most public rivalries.
Drake’s court actions signal that the conflict has now transcended lyrical jabs, plunging deep into the music industry’s underbelly of streaming wars and corporate influence. Whether this marks the next chapter in their feud or a turning point remains to be seen.
