Rapper Drake filed a second legal complaint against Universal Music Group (UMG), accusing the music corporation of defamation over Kendrick Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us.”
In his complaint, obtained by Billboard magazine, Drake said UMG could have stopped the release of a song “falsely accusing him of being a sex offender.”
The second complaint was filed a day after Drake accused UMG of conspiring with Spotify to “artificially inflate” the popularity of “Not Like Us”.
The Canadian rapper claimed that both companies conspired to make the song more popular than it actually was.
The new filing, made public on Tuesday, said UMG knew that Kendrick’s song “falsely” accused him of being a “certified pedophile” and “predator” but chose to release it anyway.
“UMG… could have refused to release or distribute the song or required the offending material to be edited and/or removed,” Drake’s lawyers wrote. “But UMG chose to do the opposite. UMG designed, financed and then executed a plan to turn ‘Not Like Us’ into a viral mega – hit with the intent of using the spectacle of harm to Drake and his businesses to drive consumer hysteria and, of course, massive revenues. That plan succeeded, likely beyond UMG’s wildest expectations.”
The first lawsuit, filed on Monday, claims UMG potentially “funneled payments” to iHeart Radio as part of a “pay-to-play scheme” to promote the song on the radio.
Drake’s attorneys claim that UMG violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. They also allege deceptive business practices and false advertising under New York state law.
Drake’s lawyers say they already have enough evidence to pursue a “claim for defamation” against UMG, but that they might also add claims of civil fraud and racketeering.
UMG responded to the filing on Monday, calling the allegations false.
“The suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue,” UMG wrote in its response. “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.”
The filing also alleges that UMG conspired with other streaming services to boost streaming numbers.
“UMG appears to have used similar tactics with other streaming services. On information and belief, UMG paid, or approved payments to, Apple Inc. to have its voice-activated digital assistant ‘Siri’ purposely misdirect users to ‘Not Like Us.’”
“UMG did not rely on chance, or even ordinary business practices,” the complaint continues. “It instead launched a campaign to manipulate and saturate the streaming services and airwaves.”
Many bloggers helped to fan the flames of hysteria over the song. They might be added to the lawsuit later on.
