Just when it seemed like Drake was coming to terms with the aftermath of his public feud with Kendrick Lamar, he officially upped the ante.

Last November, Drake launched a legal action against Universal Music Group and Spotify, alleging that both companies orchestrated a “scheme” involving bots and payola to artificially inflate the popularity of Kendrick Lamar’s highly successful diss track, "Not Like Us". However, this was not an 'official' lawsuit, and yesterday, Drake met with UMG and Spotify representatives, voluntarily withdrawing this preliminary filing, effectively bringing his battle with UMG to an end.

Or so we thought.

Earlier this morning, Drake filed a federal lawsuit against Universal Music Group for defamation and harassment. Spotify and Kendrick Lamar are not listed as defendants.

The lawsuit claims that Lamar's diss song was "intended to convey the specific, unmistakable, and false factual allegation that Drake is a criminal pedophile, and to suggest that the public should resort to vigilante justice in response," referencing a shooting at Drake's residence in May as supporting evidence.

The lawsuit goes on to call "Not Like Us" the "2024 equivalent of Pizzagate," with Drake alleging he has had to remove his son from his elementary school due to "safety concerns."

breaking: Drake is officially suing Universal Music Group — not Kendrick Lamar — for releasing/promoting “Not Like Us,” citing “vigilante” violence at his home after the song

the lawsuit, which starts with a quote by Lucian Grainge, calls it “the 2024 equivalent of ‘Pizzagate’” pic.twitter.com/CNZJIbfdX2

— Joe Coscarelli (@joecoscarelli) January 15, 2025

Drake's legal team further emphasizes that this lawsuit "is not about the artist who created 'Not Like Us'" or "a war of words between artists." Instead, they argue that the release of the diss track was a strategic move in the midst of ongoing contract negotiations with Universal.

The lawsuit states that Kendrick Lamar and Universal were initially on a short-term deal, which was extended last year. With Drake’s UMG contract set to expire this year, the lawsuit argues that “by devaluing Drake’s music and brand, UMG would gain leverage to force Drake to sign a new deal on terms more favorable to UMG.”

In the meantime, Drake has delayed his separate legal action against UMG and iHeartRadio in Texas court.