Drake has ramped up his legal battle with Universal Music Group by filing an amended lawsuit that directly calls out several top executives.
According to AllHipHop, the rapper accuses them of defamation, harassment, and deceptive business practices, claiming they engaged in “covert tactics” to boost Kendrick Lamar’s hit “Not Like Us.” The song features the line where Lamar refers to Drake as a “certified pedophile,” which Drake says was meant to damage his reputation.
The updated filing names a long list of executives, including Ramon Alvarez Smikle, Jordan Bell, Steve Berman, Tiffany Bullock, and Jesse Collins of Roc Nation. He also cites UMG CEO Sir Lucian Grainge, Republic Records leaders Monte and Avery Lipman, and Spotify’s David Kaefer. Drake even noted that Kojo Menne Asamoah was finally served after more than a dozen attempts earlier this month.
In the suit, Drake is seeking significant damages, stating, “For his deceptive business practices claim, Plaintiff seeks statutory and actual damages in an amount to be determined at trial based on expert opinion and analysis, plus treble damages and attorneys’ fees and costs pursuant to Section 349 of the New York General Business Law, as well as prejudgment and post-judgment interest.”
Meanwhile, Drake is staying busy with his ninth studio album, “Iceman.” The project’s lead single, “What Did I Miss?,” dropped on July 5th, followed by his Central Cee collaboration “Which One” on July 25. Though there’s no confirmed release date, Drake has hinted it will arrive soon, with ex-football player Johnny Manziel suggesting an October or November rollout.
