Drake has filed a lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG) for defamation and harassment, alleging the company promoted Kendrick Lamar’s song Not Like Us despite its damaging and false allegations. The diss track, which was released last year, accused Drake of being a “certified paedophile” and called for vigilante justice. These allegations, according to Drake’s lawyers, are baseless and have harmed the rapper’s reputation.

The legal filing, submitted to the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, claims that UMG orchestrated a campaign to make Not Like Us a viral sensation, prioritizing profits over the safety and well-being of its artists. The lawsuit further highlights the song’s artwork, which features an aerial photo of Drake’s Toronto mansion with markers resembling those used to indicate registered sex offenders. Drake’s legal team argues that this imagery incited dangerous behavior, pointing to a shooting at the property shortly after the track’s release.

This is not the first time Drake has taken legal action over Not Like Us. He recently dropped a case accusing UMG and Spotify of artificially boosting the song’s streams to overshadow his own music. While UMG has denied the claims and called Drake’s accusations “contrived and absurd,” the new lawsuit shifts focus to the label’s decision to publish and promote the song despite its inflammatory content.

The feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar is one of the most talked-about rivalries in hip-hop, dating back to the early 2010s. Not Like Us was widely viewed as a decisive moment in their dispute, dominating the charts and garnering Grammy nominations. While Drake responded with his track The Heart Part 6, it failed to achieve the same level of attention.

Notably, the lawsuit does not target Kendrick Lamar directly. Instead, it focuses on UMG’s alleged role in monetizing harmful and false allegations. According to Drake’s legal team, the company’s actions echo past conspiracy theories that led to real-world violence, such as the 2016 “Pizzagate” shooting.

UMG has yet to comment on the new lawsuit. Meanwhile, Not Like Us remains in the spotlight as it vies for multiple Grammy Awards, with Lamar set to headline the Super Bowl halftime show just days after the ceremony.