This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . The next check for changes will be

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cyv433le3vno

The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Drake drops legal action over Kendrick Lamar song Drake sues for defamation over Kendrick Lamar song
(about 7 hours later)
Drake is one of the best-selling artists of the last decadeDrake is one of the best-selling artists of the last decade
Drake has scrapped a legal case against Universal Music and Spotify, in which he accused the companies of conspiring to boost the streams of Kendrick Lamar's diss track against him, Not Like Us. Rap superstar Drake is suing Universal Music Group (UMG) for defamation and harassment, over its release of the Kendrick Lamar diss track Not Like Us last year.
The Canadian star took action last November, alleging that the music companies had used bots, payola and other methods to promote Lamar's song, which accused him of paedophilia. The song, which formed part of a furious back and forth between the two stars, accused Drake and his entourage of being "certified paedophiles" who should "be registered and placed on neighbourhood watch".
"The record-shattering spread of Not Like Us on streaming, sales, and radio play was deliberate and appears to have relied upon irregular and inappropriate business practices," court documents alleged. In papers filed in New York, Drake's lawyers accused the record label of launching "a campaign to create a viral hit" out of a song that made the "false factual allegation that Drake is a criminal paedophile, and to suggest that the public should resort to vigilante justice in response".
However, on Tuesday, Drake's lawyers voluntarily withdrew a pre-action filing, effectively ending the case. Universal has yet to respond to the allegations.
According to court documents filed in New York, the star met with representatives of Spotify and Universal on Tuesday to discuss the case.
Spotify, which had filed an opposition, had no objection to the withdrawal and discontinuance. Universal, which hadn't filed an opposition, reserved its position.
A related case, filed against Universal and radio network iHeartRadio in Texas, is still active.
The move comes just 24 hours after Drake withdrew a separate legal action against UMG and Spotify, in which he accused the two companies of conspiring to artificially boost streams of Not Like Us, at the expense of his own music.
In that case, he argued that Universal had licensed the song "at drastically reduced rates to Spotify" and used bots to generate extra plays, generating "the false impression that the song was more popular than it was in reality".
In a statement at the time, Universal told the BBC: "The suggestion that [the company] would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue."
It added that "no amount of contrived and absurd legal arguments... can mask the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear."
Spotify also responded that there was "no economic incentive for users to stream Not Like Us over any of Drake's tracks".
The Swedish streaming company later filed an opposition brief to Drake's petition, stating that it "should be denied".
His lawyers withdrew the case on Tuesday, after meeting with representatives from both companies, according to court papers.
That appeared to draw a line under the legal action - until the story took a dramatic twist on Wednesday morning.
In a lawsuit filed at the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, Drake accused Universal - which distributes both his music and Lamar's - of prioritising "corporate greed over the safety and well-being of its artists".
His lawyers noted that the artwork for Not Like Us was based on an aerial photograph of Drake's $100m Toronto mansion, dotted with red markers that are often used to represent the presence of registered sex offenders.
The court documents link that artwork to a shooting at the property shortly after the release of Kendrick's song, calling it "the 2024 equivalent of 'Pizzagate'".
The comment referenced a conspiracy theory about a US child sex ring operating out of a Washington pizza restaurant, which led to a gunman opening fire on the eaterie in 2016.
Kendrick Lamar's Not Like Us has been nominated for four Grammy Awards
Not Like Us was widely regarded as the decisive blow in a long-running feud between Drake and Lamar, which dates back to the early 2010s.Not Like Us was widely regarded as the decisive blow in a long-running feud between Drake and Lamar, which dates back to the early 2010s.
In the lyrics, Lamar alleges that Drake "likes 'em young" and accuses him of using other, more credible rappers, to boost his profile.In the lyrics, Lamar alleges that Drake "likes 'em young" and accuses him of using other, more credible rappers, to boost his profile.
Around 24 hours later, Drake responded with a track called The Heart Part 6, where he rejected the allegations, saying, "I never been with no one under age". He also claimed to have fed Lamar "false" information through a double agent. Drake responded with a track called The Heart Part 6, where he rejected the allegations, saying, "I never been with no one under age". He also claimed to have fed Lamar "false" information through a double agent.
However, his retort failed to attract the same attention as Not Like Us, which debuted at number one in the US chart and attracted more than 1 billion streams on Spotify.However, his retort failed to attract the same attention as Not Like Us, which debuted at number one in the US chart and attracted more than 1 billion streams on Spotify.
Taking to the courts, Drake accused Universal - which distributes both his music and Lamar's - of artificially boosting the song's numbers. The song is nominated for five prizes, including record and song of the year, at the Grammy Awards on 3 February. A week later, Lamar will headline the Super Bowl halftime show.
In court documents, he claimed that the label licensed the song "at drastically reduced rates to Spotify" and used bots to stream the song, generating "the false impression that the song was more popular than it was in reality". However, the new lawsuit is not aimed at Lamar himself, according to Drake's lawyers.
"This lawsuit is not about the artist who created Not Like Us," the court documents says.
Kendrick Lamar's Not Like Us has been nominated for four Grammy Awards "It is, instead, entirely about UMG, the music company that decided to publish, promote, exploit, and monetize allegations that it understood were not only false, but dangerous."
The papers were not a lawsuit, but a "pre-action petition", in which Drake's lawyers sought to gain access to internal documents at Spotify and Universal which might have supported their case.
In a statement at the time, Universal told the BBC: "The suggestion that [the company] would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue.
"We employ the highest ethical practices in our marketing and promotional campaigns. No amount of contrived and absurd legal arguments in this pre-action submission can mask the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear."
Spotify also responded that there was "no economic incentive for users to stream Not Like Us over any of Drake's tracks".
The Swedish streaming company later filed an opposition brief to Drake's petition, stating that it "should be denied".
Reputational damage
Music industry experts had been sceptical that the accusations would ever reach trial.
Some suggested that Drake was using the court to leverage Universal for information that could allow him to potentially sue for a breach of contract and get out of his deal.
But entertainment lawyer Kevin Casini said the proposed legal action could do Drake's reputation more harm than good.
The media coverage "really only serves to bring more attention to the lyrics that Drake finds offensive or objectionable," he told Rolling Stone magazine, external.
"And I think the streaming numbers for the song will just go up again."