In the lawsuit Drake first filed in January 2025, which was viewed by E! News, he accused the label of conspiring to “artificially inflate” the popularity of “Not Like Us” through pay-to-play schemes, bots and more. The document also argued that the song “cloaks cleverly dangerous lyrics behind a catchy beat and inviting hook” that “falsely accuses Drake of being a pedophile.”
These claims were also echoed in his November 2024 pre-action petition—a procedure under New York State law before filing a lawsuit—obtained by E! News.
Drake’s attorneys accused UMG of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, which is often used in cases involving organized crime. They also accused UMG of deceptive business practices and false advertising, along with giving “financial benefits” to “third parties to promote and play the Song and Video without disclosing those payments.”
The petition claimed that UMG’s “schemes” were motivated “at least in part, by the desire of executives at Interscope to maximize their own profits.”
Drake’s legal team claimed in the filing that they had contacted UMG to resolve the issue.
“UMG has demonstrated that it has no interest in taking responsibility for its misconduct,” the filing alleged. “Over the past several months, Drake has repeatedly sought to engage UMG in discussions to resolve the ongoing harm he has suffered as a result of UMG’s actions. UMG refused to engage in negotiations, and insisted that UMG is not responsible for its own actions.”
