Is Drake’s lawsuit in the rap war an unprecedented move? It was revealed this week that the hip-hop icon’s team filed pre-motion documents against Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” Drake’s nemesis and another icon. genre, added a new twist to what was already an explosive feud between the two.
But is Drake playing with fire by opening it up in court?
What his legal team is reportedly trying to do is find out more information about Universal Music Group, as well as its relationship with streaming services and radio stations – all of which relate to successful sales figures and streaming numbers for “Not Like Us”, the Drake diss is one of many tracks Lamar released this year, but the only one that seems to have penetrated the entire pop culture and earned him a spot in the Super Bowl.
Following its widespread success, Drake’s people suggested that those numbers must have been artificially inflated by the record label as well as streaming services and radio stations through conspiratorial means. On top of that, Drake’s team has reportedly filed paperwork condemning the lyrical content of “Not Like Us” itself, which Drake says “wrongly” labels him as a predator. None of these lawsuits are outright lawsuits yet, but they could carry one.
On Monday (November 25), news broke of the first legal claim from Drake’s team regarding the song’s millions and millions of streams – just one day after K-Dot surprisingly released his effort His latest effort, the album GNX.
The second filing appeared the following Monday and was not made public until the next day (November 26). In it, Drake claims UMG “channeled payments” to iHeart Radio as part of a “pay-to-play scheme” to promote “Not Like Us.” Elsewhere in the filing, Drake said that UMG knew that Kendrick’s song “falsely” accused him of being a “certified pedophile” and a “predator” but chose to release it anyway. It.
Many people thought that Lamar had won the Drake-Kendrick feud — and those who didn’t feel that way — took their opinions online. Some have rightly noted that efforts to investigate Drake’s record label practices could backfire since he is also one of the world’s top artists and could stand to benefit equally from the operate in the industry like an insider.
“The argument from Drake fans is that he does it for everyone,” said one commenter on X (formerly Twitter). “The problem is that Drake has known about these practices for quite some time and loves them when they benefit him and hates them when they don’t.”
Like the truth of this situation is pretty clear
It doesn’t take a genius or insider to know that the music industry caters to the big earners aka the 1% of its music operations.
Drake AND Kendrick are among the 1%. Those shady practices were and are being used on BOTH of them…
– Let the ladder come down (@FlowsAndolini) November 26, 2024
But there’s also the notion that Drake is not playing fair by taking what is essentially a lyrical battle and turning it into a legal proceeding, a view that one could easily take as a glare. the eyes of a loser trying to make up for it after the incident.
Some commentators also brought up Drake’s attention to this issue as an example of the “Streisand Effect”, which in turn caused more people to pay attention to Lamar and listen to “Not Like Us”.
In 2003, Barbra Streisand tried to hide a photo of her Malibu crib, only to attract more attention to it – a phenomenon now known as the Streisand Effect. Drake’s litigiousness will have the same effect on Kendrick’s “Not Like Us,” ensuring more people will stream it and hear the innuendo.
– Z (@BrianZisook) November 26, 2024
Going one step further on Monday, Daily World Atlanta wrote that Drake’s legal action “makes a mockery of rap culture”, arguing that the action actually “goes against the unwritten rules of the culture. Rap battles also Similar to sports. It’s always fair game when two artists use wit and showmanship while engaging in a rap battle.”
Could the legal move bite Drake back?
As the situation unfolded, many questions were raised about the potential consequences of Drake’s legal action. While the court filings make serious allegations about industry practices, they also subject Drake to intense scrutiny over his career and his methods. Did Drake risk turning the microscope back on himself?
Furthermore, the cultural impact of this move may not be in Drake’s favor. The rap battle comes down to courage, creativity and lyrical skill – not legal arguments. Bringing lawyers in risks alienating a fan base that values authenticity. Some say this legal strategy could weaken Drake’s standing in the rap community, even if he wins in court.
Whether Drake’s approach sets a new precedent for how hip-hop feuds are handled or ends up serving as a cautionary tale remains to be seen. Currently, the eyes of the industry and the public are watching every development in the clash between the two rap giants.
Tags Kendrick Lamar, Drake