Does Drake own his masters? Contract deal terms with UMG explored amid Kendrick Lamar scandal

Drake has been trending on different platforms ever since he filed a petition on November 25, 2024, at the Manhattan Court. The petition claimed that Universal Music Group allegedly used unfair means to increase the streaming numbers of Not Like Us, a single released by Kendrick Lamar in May this year.

Notably, Drake has also been associated with UMG for around two years and the price of the deal was reported to be almost $400 million, as per ABC Audio. Drizzy also owns his masters, which refers to an artist owning the copyright to the original sound recordings of his or her music, as stated by Amuse.

According to Billboard, Drizzy's petition claimed that UMG used various methods such as bots to boost the popularity of Not Like Us. Drake's legal team explained the same by saying:

"UMG did not rely on chance, or even ordinary business practices. It instead launched a campaign to manipulate and saturate the streaming services and airwaves."

The petition alleged that UMG did not charge the normal licensing rates from Spotify and also paid influencers to boost the single on social media, creating false reports of the song's popularity. The petition accused UMG of being involved in deceptive business practices and false advertising under New York state law alongside violating the RICO Act.

Meanwhile, UMG has responded to the petition claims in a statement shared with Billboard on Monday, denying all the accusations mentioned in the legal documents. The company mentioned that they use an ethical process in their "marketing and promotional campaigns" and continued:

"No amount of contrived and absurd legal arguments in this pre-action submission can mask the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear."

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Drake signed a deal with Universal Music Group around two years ago

As mentioned, Drizzy joined UMG in 2022 and the rapper has been linked with the company considering his association with another record label Cash Money, which was a part of Republic Records, owned by UMG. According to Variety, Drizzy had once addressed the deal in the lyrics of his single Lemon Pepper Freestyle.

The deal was also supposed to solidify the catalog holdings of UMG. CelebrityNetWorth stated that apart from recorded music and music publishing, the deal also covered other departments, including film, television, and brands.

The news of Drizzy's deal with UMG was initially revealed by Sir Lucian Grainge, the chairman and CEO of the record label, during their first-quarter earnings call in 2022. Furthermore, it was reported to be one of the most expensive deals in history considering Drake's position in the Billboard charts over the years.

Variety also reported in 2022 that UMG was the owner of almost 3 million sound recordings and four of their artists have recorded the highest number of streams on Spotify.

Back in July 2020, record executive Steve Stoute also hinted towards the deal in a statement, saying that Drizzy was supposed to sign the "biggest bag in the history of the music business." According to Complex, Stoute added:

"If Drake goes independent, the music is over."

Drake has also received more than 50 billion streams on Spotify and released several hit tracks since 2020. Apart from that, he has made guest appearances on the singles of artists such as Future and Yung Bleu.

Variety also stated in 2022 that the deal happened at a time UMG had an opportunity to sign a successful artist considering that the organizing of concerts and the sales of artist catalogs were affected due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Apart from music, Drizzy has reportedly accumulated a lot of wealth from his clothing company, OVO.