In a significant development in the music industry, Drake has resolved his legal tussle with iHeartMedia over allegations of payola tied to Kendrick Lamar’s provocative diss track, “Not Like Us.” The Canadian rap titan had initially pointed fingers at both iHeartMedia and Universal Music Group (UMG), accusing them of orchestrating a scheme to artificially inflate the song’s radio presence through illicit payments. This resolution marks a pivotal moment in Drake’s ongoing legal saga, though it leaves his broader battle with UMG unresolved.

According to court filings from Bexar County, Texas, Drake and iHeartMedia arrived at an “amicable resolution” that satisfied both parties, prompting Drake to withdraw his petition against the radio giant. Sources close to iHeartMedia assert that they furnished documents proving no wrongdoing on their part, a move that reportedly convinced Drake to back down without any monetary exchange. However, a representative for Drake has contested this narrative, insisting that no such documentation was provided, casting a shadow of ambiguity over the settlement’s finer details. What remains clear is that the agreement bars Drake from reigniting this particular claim against iHeartMedia in the future.

The dispute stemmed from Drake’s November 2024 petition, which alleged that iHeartMedia accepted undisclosed payments from UMG to amplify airplay for “Not Like Us,” a track laden with sharp lyrical jabs aimed squarely at Drake. This accusation of payola—a practice outlawed under the Communications Act of 1934—formed the backbone of his grievance. Yet, with iHeartMedia now extricated from the fray, Drake’s legal focus shifts to his ongoing defamation lawsuit against UMG, filed in federal court in New York in January 2025. That case centers on claims that UMG knowingly promoted the diss track’s “false and defamatory” narrative, including accusations of pedophilia, to maximize its viral impact at Drake’s expense.
As the dust settles on this chapter, the resolution with iHeartMedia offers Drake a partial reprieve, but his war with UMG—a powerhouse label representing both him and Lamar—continues to simmer. With a March 17 deadline looming for UMG to respond to the defamation suit, the music world watches closely, awaiting the next verse in this unfolding drama.