Drake Denies Alleged DM Discussing Legal Battle with Universal Music Group
Drake has strongly denied sending a controversial direct message (DM) to celebrity stylist Chris Blake Griffith about his ongoing legal battle with Universal Music Group (UMG). The alleged DM, posted by Griffith on Instagram on Tuesday, January 7, claimed that Drake was discussing the motivations behind his high-profile legal action against UMG, his longtime record label.
In the supposed message, Drake is quoted as saying: “Me and Universal is like if Nike was funding a campaign about LeBron cheating on his wife… not adidas or Reebok… Nike the company he been with since he started… my situation is not no street shit.” He allegedly continued: “Everybody before me that tried the label was too eccentric so they wrote them off as crazy and they never had to pay for their sins and mistakes. I’m going to change that and make the building a safer place for every artist moving forward.”
The conversation then took a darker turn as it allegedly touched on a claim made by Griffith regarding NFL player Stefon Diggs, who allegedly tried to drug and rape him. In the purported DM, Drake allegedly responded with: “You asking me to post a tape about you ratting on people g.”
However, following the post’s circulation online, Drake quickly denied the authenticity of the messages. His spokesperson, Akademiks, took to X (formerly known as Twitter), stating, “This is a fake DM. Drake called buddy a Rat….. he got mad and made up some fake DM to try to make the blogs and go viral. End of story.” Akademiks added: “Source – THE BOY.”
Drake’s legal issues with UMG have been widely discussed in the press. In November 2024, the rapper filed two pre-action petitions against the label, accusing them of using streaming bots and payola to inflate the success of Kendrick Lamar’s hit diss track, “Not Like Us.” Additionally, Drake accused UMG of defamation for releasing a track that allegedly labeled him a pedophile.
A court hearing to determine whether Drake can depose individuals from UMG and iHeartMedia in relation to his claims of illegal radio payments has been delayed. Originally scheduled for December 20, 2024, the hearing will now take place on January 13, 2025, in Bexar County, Texas. A second hearing related to his legal disputes with UMG and Spotify is set to take place just days later, on January 16, in New York.
As the situation develops, Drake’s response to the fabricated DM serves as a reminder of the ongoing tensions between the artist and his label, with both parties embroiled in legal disputes that have made headlines in recent months. Whether or not these latest claims will escalate remains to be seen, but for now, Drake maintains his innocence regarding the alleged message.
