It's officially been a year since Kendrick Lamar unleashed "Not Like Us," the song widely believed to have sealed Drake's fate amid their viral battle. In it, the Compton rapper accuses Drizzy and his crew of being "certified pedophiles," dishes out his famous "A minor" line, and more.
It's broken several records since its release, becoming the fastest rap song to reach 100 million streams, the longest-running No. 1 song on Billboard rap charts, and the most-streamed rap song ever in a single day, among other feats.
It even secured Kendrick a whopping five Grammy awards in February, making it the most-awarded rap song in Grammys history. Now, it's reached yet another exciting milestone, snatching the title of most-streamed rap song in a single year on Spotify. It racked up a staggering 1.44 billion streams, per Hip Hop All Day. This smashed the record previously held by Lil Nas X's "Industry Baby" featuring Jack Harlow.
Why Is Drake Suing UMG?
The song is also what prompted Drake to file a lawsuit against Universal Music Group earlier this year. In it, he accuses the company of defamation. He alleges that they knowingly spread the "false and malicious" narrative that he's a predator. He filed an amended complaint last month too, citing Kendrick's Super Bowl LIX performance. The Toronto performer's legal team pointed out that during the show, he omitted the word "pedophile."
“No other modifications were made,” the suit says. “On information and belief, Kendrick Lamar would not have been permitted to perform during the Super Bowl Performance unless the word 'pedophile' (in the phrase 'certified pedophiles') was omitted from the lyrics—that is because nearly everyone understands that it is defamatory to falsely brand someone a “certified pedophile.”
Drake's team also alleged that Kendrick's decision to perform the song “introduced new listeners to the Recording, causing even more people to be duped into believing that Drake was a pedophile.”
In response, UMG told Drake to “be careful what you wish for.”
