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.
As you probably know, Drake’s complaint zeroes in on one particular allegation: that Kendrick accused him of being a pedophile. He argues these “false and defamatory” lines were presented to the public as fact, leading to personal and professional fallout. According to Drake, UMG’s continued promotion of the record, even during the Super Bowl and Grammy Awards, fueled public belief in the accusations. He says the fallout included a shooting outside his home, forcing him to temporarily relocate his family and causing a significant dip in his public favorability.
ICYMI, in April 2025, Drake amended his lawsuit to emphasize UMG’s alleged role in worsening the damage through its post-release marketing strategies. A judge recently ruled that discovery can begin, meaning both sides will now gather evidence. This massive civil case could set a new legal precedent in an era where lyrical shots and streaming numbers often go hand in hand.
Limp Bizkit’s $200M Royalty Showdown
You may not know that Rock-rap icons Limp Bizkit are also locked in a fierce legal battle with UMG, one that could involve up to $200 million in withheld royalties. The band initially sued in October 2024 and submitted an expanded complaint in March 2025, accusing UMG of deliberately designing royalty-tracking software to conceal profits owed to artists. Wow.
What’s wild is that their lawsuit includes allegations of fraudulent business practices, breach of contract, and copyright infringement. A federal judge has already allowed the copyright claims to proceed, while the rest will need to be refiled in state court.
Trailblazers Salt-N-Pepa Fight for Their Masters
Hip-hop pioneers Salt-N-Pepa are taking a unique route in their legal war with UMG. Their recent lawsuit, filed in May 2025, focuses on ownership, specifically the right to reclaim their master recordings under the Copyright Act of 1976. Get this: after issuing termination notices in 2022 to regain control of their catalog, they claim UMG flat-out refused to honor them.
What’s even more controversial is that the group alleges UMG retaliated by pulling their classic tracks from streaming services, effectively silencing their legacy in an era where digital rules how content is consumed. UMG has fired back, arguing that Salt-N-Pepa’s recordings were “works made for hire” and that the group wasn’t directly tied to the original contracts.
Deezle Harrison Wants His “Lollipop” Bag
Even more recently, Producer Darius “Deezle” Harrison, the man behind the boards on Lil Wayne’s smash hit “Lollipop,” has returned to court, claiming UMG owes him over $3 million in unpaid royalties. Yikes.
Also filed in May 2025, Deezle’s lawsuit is a familiar tune in hip-hop legal circles: a hit record, a complex royalty contract, and money that never showed up.
Deezle says he’s owed a 4% royalty on the six tracks he produced for Tha Carter III, which includes “Lollipop,” and a 3% cut from his earlier work on Birdman’s Fast Money. He had already sued Wayne, Cash Money, and Young Money in 2011 over similar issues, which ultimately led to a settlement.
According to this new suit, UMG began paying him post-settlement, only to stop again shortly afterward. Neither UMG nor Wayne has publicly responded to this latest round of litigation.
So what’s the bigger picture here?
Each of these lawsuits, however unique, potentially highlights different cracks in the foundation of the music business, creative control, fair compensation, reputational protection, and ownership rights. All vital to an artist’s livelihood. Some, like Drake’s civil suit, are unprecedented in both nature and scope. Others, like Deezle’s fight for royalties, echo familiar themes of artists battling for what they’re owed.
So now what? Well, one thing’s for sure: Whether liable or cleared of any liabilities, UMG is seemingly at the epicenter of a legal reckoning, and the outcomes of these cases could have lasting ripple effects across the industry and media/creator landscape by and large. Whether they’re ultimately settled behind closed doors, which is likely if you’ve paid attention to history or even fought to the end in court, resulting in jury decisions, these high-profile lawsuits are reshaping the power dynamics between artists and the institutions that profit from their art.
And we’ll be watching every step of the way.