Universal Music Group, the biggest label in the music industry, is facing a storm of legal heat from some of the game’s most influential acts, across genres and generations. From defamation fights to royalty battles to master ownership disputes, the lawsuits piling up against UMG aren’t just numerous—they’re making history. Some cases, like Drake’s, are unprecedented, while others, such as the Lollipop royalty claims from producer Deezle, shine a potentially damning spotlight on long-standing industry tensions. As these cases make their way through the courts, they could shape how artists and labels do business for years to come.

Let’s get right to it.

Drake’s Lawsuit: Defamation in a Digital Age

Drake’s legal battle with UMG is unlike anything we’ve seen in the modern rap era. The Toronto superstar filed a civil defamation lawsuit against the label in January 2025, claiming they had backed Kendrick Lamar’s brutal diss track, “Not Like Us,” to smear his name deliberately. In a bold legal move, he alleges UMG “approved, published, and launched a campaign” to make the song go viral, knowing full well that its lyrics would do severe damage to his reputation.

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