Friday, January 17, 2025 - Drake’s legal team has drawn attention for an apparent misstep in their defamation lawsuit over the diss track “Not Like Us,” which the rapper claims has caused him reputational harm and personal danger.
In an 81-page lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG), Drake
alleges the track, written by Kendrick Lamar, repeatedly suggests violence
against him, including references to him being a pedophile and a threat made in
the lyrics: “I think that Oakland show gon’ be your last stop.”
However, a glaring error in the lawsuit has caught the attention of
hip-hop fans. The legal team incorrectly claims that Lamar, who penned the
song, grew up in Oakland, California, when in fact, the Grammy-winning rapper
was born and raised in Compton. The lyric about Oakland references Tupac
Shakur, whose voice was mimicked using AI in Drake’s “Taylor Made” diss track.
Shakur, who spent much of his 20s in Oakland, is the intended subject of
Lamar’s lyric, suggesting that the Bay Area would not forgive Drake for using
AI to emulate the late rapper’s voice.
The apparent lack of basic hip-hop knowledge in Drake’s legal filings
has sparked reactions online, with fans noting the oversight as a significant
blunder. While the lawsuit centers on the claim that UMG knowingly published
and promoted defamatory content that labeled Drake a “certified pedophile,”
fans and commentators have questioned whether pursuing legal action over a rap
feud could damage Drake’s Street credibility even further.
TMZ first reported on the lawsuit, noting that Drake has since dropped
the case against his own label but continues to criticize UMG for their
involvement in the song’s release. Critics of the lawsuit point out that legal
action over diss tracks—a staple of hip-hop culture—may weaken Drake’s image in
the eyes of fans.
As the controversy unfolds, fans are left debating whether the lawsuit
or the lyrical feud itself has done more harm to Drake’s reputation. For now,
one thing is clear: any street cred Drake hoped to retain has taken another
hit, thanks in part to his lawyers’ questionable grasp of hip-hop history.
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