Why Did Drake Withdraw His UMG Lawsuit? The Feud With Kendrick Isn’t Over Yet

So, Drake just dropped a bombshell on everyone — he’s decided to withdraw his lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG). This legal action was a big deal, especially with all the drama surrounding his feud with Kendrick Lamar. If you’ve been following this story, you might be wondering: Why did Drake withdraw his UMG lawsuit? After all, the lawsuit seemed crucial to protecting his reputation.

Here's the thing — his decision to withdraw might not be what it seems. Turns out, this might not be Drake waving a white flag in defeat at all. In fact, he still has a separate lawsuit going after UMG that remains active. So, it is possible his decision to withdraw was part of a bigger legal strategy. Keep reading as we dive a bit deeper into what’s going on between Drake, Kendrick, and UMG.

Drake’s original lawsuit against UMG was all about Kendrick’s diss track, "Not Like Us." If you’ve heard it, you know it doesn’t exactly paint Drake in the best light.

The song accuses him of inappropriate behavior, including lines that suggest troubling allegations about his relationships. Kendrick also questions Drake’s authenticity, comparing him to shallow depictions of hip-hop culture. Furthermore, he even accuses Drake of exploiting collaborations with Atlanta artists like Future and Lil Baby for personal gain.

From Drake’s point of view, the song is so much more than just a diss track. It is an attack on his reputation and place within the music industry.

The original lawsuit accuses UMG and Spotify of allegedly boosting the track’s popularity using bots and paid promotions. Drake claims these actions gave Kendrick’s song an unfair edge in the market. It, however, was made clear that this had nothing to do with numbers or the song climbing to the top. It was about the damage it would continue to do to his reputation.

According to Rolling Stone, Drake surprised everyone when he suddenly dropped the case on Jan. 14, 2025. Per legal filings, the case was dropped without any financial costs on either side. Initially, this sounds like a swift and drama-free end to the situation. However, Drake has not explained his decision to withdraw. Furthermore, Drake does have another lawsuit against UMG that is still active. So, his decision to withdraw one lawsuit could have been a legal tactic.

Now, let’s take a step back for a second. If you are new to the details of this drama, you may be asking one big question: Why did he file the lawsuit to begin with? What was it about?

The lawsuit Drake decided to drop focused entirely on how Kendrick’s diss track gained so much traction. Ultimately, Drake accused UMG and Spotify of pulling some strings to make the song appear more popular than it was. Basically, imagine Drake and Kendrick are rivals competing in a race. Kendrick is winning and Drake believes Kendrick is winning because he was given a head start.

In this industry, streaming numbers hold a lot of weight. They influence everything including awards, chart positions, and how fans view an artist. Drake filed this lawsuit because he believed the inflated numbers were tarnishing his reputation.

Even though Drake let one lawsuit go, he is not backing down from the situation. He has a separate active case against UMG. His other case accuses the company of paying iHeartRadio to push Kendrick’s track even harder. Some are speculating that letting the other lawsuit go could have been a tactical move to focus all his efforts on this one.

Just as fans were digesting the news of Drake withdrawing his original lawsuit, another twist emerged: He’s filed a new lawsuit against UMG. In his newest lawsuit, Drake accuses UMG of defamation by claiming the company knowingly released and promoted Kendrick’s diss track despite its damaging content.

According to the lawsuit, Drake argues that the song includes false and harmful accusations. Interestingly, Kendrick is not named in the lawsuit as a defendant. Instead, Drake seems to be squarely focused on UMG.

Filing a new lawsuit so soon after dropping a previous case against the same company is a bold move. This move, however, makes it clear that Drake is not done fighting to take down this diss track and protect his reputation.

For now, fans of Drake and Kendrick’s music will just have to continue to wait and see what happens next. One thing that we know for sure is this — this feud is far from over. Despite dropping one lawsuit, Drake is far from done.