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Drake says UMG prioritized greed over his safety

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Lawsuit seeks unspecified damages, Lamar not a defendant

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'Not Like Us' up for five Grammy Awards

By Jonathan Stempel

NEW YORK, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Drake sued his longtime

label on Wednesday, accusing Universal Music Group of defamation

for promoting Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us," saying the song's

false accusation that the Canadian rapper is a pedophile has put

him and his family in danger.

In a complaint in Manhattan federal court, Drake said the

song was "intended to convey the specific, unmistakable, and

false factual allegation that Drake is a criminal pedophile" and

the public should exert "vigilante justice" in response.

Drake said it led to attempted break-ins at his home,

prompting him to travel with extra security, and pull his

seven-year-old son from his Toronto elementary school and the

Toronto area.

He and Lamar, an American rapper who won the 2018 Pulitzer

Prize for music, have feuded for about a decade.

"UMG may spin this complaint as a rap beef gone legal, but

this lawsuit is not about a war of words between artists,"

according to the complaint from Drake, whose given name is

Aubrey Drake Graham.

"Notwithstanding a relationship spanning more than a decade,

UMG intentionally sought to turn Drake into a pariah, a target

for harassment, or worse," the complaint added. "UMG chose

corporate greed over the safety and well-being of its artists."

Neither UMG nor its lawyers immediately responded to

requests for comment. UMG has denied trying to undermine Drake

or using unethical practices to promote "Not Like Us."

The lawsuit seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive

damages for defamation and harassment. Lamar is not a defendant,

though Drake called "Not Like Us" defamatory. Drake's lawyers

did not immediately respond to requests for additional comment.

Wednesday's lawsuit followed a November petition in a New

York state court in which Drake, through his company Frozen

Moments, accused UMG and Spotify ( SPOT ) of using payola and

streaming bots to promote "Not Like Us" at his music's expense.

Drake withdrew that petition on Tuesday night. His related

case against UMG and radio company iHeartMedia remains

pending in a Texas state court, online records show.

The feud between Drake and Lamar has played out in part

through so-called "diss" tracks including "Not Like Us."

In that song, released last May 4, Lamar mentioned Drake by

name, saying "Drake, I hear you like 'em young" and calling him

and others "certified pedophiles."

A day earlier, Drake released "Family Matters," appearing to

accuse Lamar of physical abuse and infidelity, and questioning

whether Lamar's business partner fathered one of his children.

"Not Like Us" topped Billboard's Hot 100 for two weeks last

year. It received five nominations for the Feb. 2 Grammy Awards,

including record of the year and song of the year.

The case is Graham v UMG Recordings Inc, U.S. District

Court, Southern District of New York, No. 25-00399.