Universal Music CEO Slams Drake's 'Ridiculous' ‘Not Like Us’ Lawsuit Claims

Universal Music Group CEO Lucian Grainge has delivered a scathing response to Drake's lawsuit regarding Kendrick Lamar's diss track "Not Like Us", calling the allegations "groundless and indeed ridiculous".

The legal battle intensified this week when Drake's attorneys attempted to compel Grainge to submit documents they believe would support their case against the music executive's alleged involvement in the strategic promotion of Lamar's Grammy-winning track, reports Rolling Stone. Drake's legal team claims UMG orchestrated a defamatory campaign through "Not Like Us", which contains allegations about Drake being a "pedophile" in both its lyrics and artwork.

In court filings submitted to the Southern District of New York, Grainge categorically denied any knowledge of the song before its release. "Given Drake's motion, I would like to make it quite clear that I had never heard the recording 'Not Like Us,' nor ever saw the corresponding cover art or music video, until after they were released by Interscope Records," the CEO stated in his declaration.

Drake's motion pointed to Grainge's authorship of UMG's Code of Conduct, where he wrote that leadership should be held "accountable for the decisions we make and how we conduct ourselves". The lawsuit alleges that Grainge was aware of and callous towards the impact of Lamar's assertions, particularly noting his public celebration when "Not Like Us" won the Grammy for Record of the Year.

The legal filing suggests UMG aimed to "devalue Drake's music and brand in order to gain leverage in negotiations for an extension" of his contract. However, Grainge dismissed this notion entirely, emphasising the absurdity of such claims given his position at the helm of a multi-billion dollar corporation operating across nearly 200 markets worldwide.

Grainge argued that his role overseeing UMG's global operations makes it nonsensical for him to be involved in the minutiae of individual releases from thousands of UMG releases worldwide. He characterised Drake's legal strategy as a familiar tactic designed to "waste my and UMG's time and resources with discovery" either for media attention or to force commercial renegotiation.

The CEO highlighted UMG's substantial financial investment in Drake, including a $400 million contract signed in 2022, making him one of the label's highest-selling artists. "Claims that I was behind a scheme to 'devalue' [Drake's] brand through the release and promotion of the Kendrick Lamar recording 'Not Like Us' — an allegation that makes no sense due to the fact that the company that I run, Universal Music Group N.V., has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Drake," Grainge stated.

Drake initially filed his defamation and harassment lawsuit against UMG in January, also targeting iHeartMedia for allegedly accepting "covert payments" to promote airplay of "Not Like Us". The iHeartMedia case settled in March, with the company stating no payments were made by either party in exchange for documents proving their innocence.

Both Drake and Kendrick Lamar remain signed to UMG subsidiaries, with Drake under Republic Records whilst Lamar distributes through Interscope.