Drake’s lawyers demand Lucian Grainge’s emails and Kendrick Lamar’s unredacted contract.
Drake’s legal war with Universal Music Group (UMG) has escalated dramatically, as his lawyers now allege that the company’s powerful CEO, Sir Lucian Grainge, was directly involved in promoting Kendrick Lamar’s chart-topping diss track Not Like Us.
The 2024 single, released under UMG’s Interscope Records, accused the Canadian rapper of being a “certified paedophile”—a claim Drake has repeatedly denied. The track not only soared to number one worldwide but also cemented its place in pop culture with a performance during the Super Bowl halftime show. For Drake, however, the record symbolises what he insists is a corporate-backed campaign to destroy his reputation.
In his lawsuit, Drake argues that UMG actively orchestrated the damage, pointing to artwork that depicted his Toronto home as though it were listed on a sex offender registry. His legal team now claims Grainge personally oversaw decisions that ensured Not Like Us was released and promoted at the highest levels.
Embed from Getty ImagesIn newly filed motions, attorney Michael Gottlieb pressed the court to compel UMG to hand over Grainge’s emails, texts, and Kendrick Lamar’s unredacted record contract. The filings accuse the company of “shielding” its chief executive from scrutiny.
Gottlieb further demanded internal documents detailing UMG’s past decisions to censor or alter allegedly defamatory material. To make his point, he cited reports that lines were cut from Pusha T’s 2018 diss track The Story of Adidon, which famously targeted Drake. He argued this selective approach proved that Grainge had the power—and the will—to intervene when it suited the company’s interests.
According to Drake’s team, Grainge’s long-standing practice of encouraging rivalry between UMG’s artists and labels gave him both the motive and the authority to approve Lamar’s track in a way that inflicted maximum harm. They contend the timing was especially damaging, coming just before Drake entered into critical contract negotiations.
UMG, however, has forcefully denied the accusations. The label dismissed the case as “utterly without merit” and insisted Grainge had “no meaningful involvement” in the matter. In its response, the company framed the lawsuit as a desperate attempt by Drake to salvage his public image after losing a high-profile feud. Diss tracks, UMG noted, have always been a cornerstone of hip-hop culture, with Lamar’s Not Like Us representing nothing more than the latest and most successful example.
The case is now in the hands of Judge Jeannette A. Vargas, who is weighing UMG’s motion to dismiss. Her ruling, expected in the coming weeks, will determine whether Drake’s explosive claims move forward to a full trial. If the lawsuit proceeds, Grainge himself could be compelled to produce private correspondence, placing one of the most powerful figures in the music industry under intense legal scrutiny.
For Drake, the stakes are immense. The outcome could redefine not only his own reputation but also the limits of artistic freedom in hip-hop when major record labels are accused of orchestrating rivalries.
As the legal battle deepens, the case has already sent shockwaves through the industry. A feud that began with a diss track has now spiralled into a courtroom clash between one of rap’s biggest stars and the most influential music executive in the world.
