The world of hip-hop just got spicier as a potential legal showdown brews, with Drake and music giant Universal Music Group (UMG) at the centre. This is all because of Kendrick Lamar’s hit track ‘Not Like Us’.

According to Billboard, Drake has fired back at UMG, accusing the music powerhouse of defamation. This comes a few hours after Monday’s bombshell revelation of a New York filing that hinted at Spotify-related schemes. Now, Drake has shifted his focus to allegations of a pay-to-play strategy allegedly involving iHeartRadio. But it gets worse as Drake’s team claims UMG could have put the brakes on releasing or distributing Kendrick’s track.

According to Complex, the whole showdown is taking place because of the “predator” and “pedophile” lines in Kendrick’s Grammy-nominated diss track. While the lyrics are cutting, Kendrick himself isn’t a named party in the filing. The new document isn’t a lawsuit yet, but it’s seen as a potential precursor to one.

Drake’s legal team isn’t holding back, accusing UMG of masterminding a viral campaign with Not Like Us to cash in on drama. They argue the track’s success was fuelled by a spectacle that painted Drake and his businesses in a damaging light. “UMG designed, financed, and then executed a plan to turn ‘Not Like Us’ into a viral mega-hit,” the filing claims, alleging the goal was to stoke consumer hysteria and rake in massive revenues.

UMG, meanwhile, has sharply dismissed these accusations. “The suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue,” a spokesperson stated earlier this week, adding that the company prides itself on ethical practices in marketing and promotions.

UMG is a titan in the music world, housing labels like Def Jam, Interscope, Republic Records, and more. Both Drake and Kendrick have strong ties to UMG: Drake’s For All the Dogs dropped last October via OVO Sound and Republic, while Kendrick’s surprise album GNX landed just last week under pgLang and Interscope.

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