Why Drake Suing UMG Shouldn’t Shock Anyone
Arguably the largest artist in the world is currently petitioning UMG (universal music group) for a potential lawsuit and no one should be suprised.
The SOVL Report: Why Drake Suing UMG Shouldn’t Shock Anyone
What up Forum,
So let’s talk about this “Drake” situation. Yes, you’ve got it right, Mr. Certified Loverboy aka Aubrey himself. The same brokenhearted introspective man who created Marvin’s room for all of the sad boys and created a billion-dollar lane for the softhearted philanderers.
The most lucrative Canadian export since maple syrup and boxing on ice is making headlines for a second time this year turning the aggression once meant for rival rapper Kendrick Lamar towards his label Universal Music Group (UMG).
Though social media may debate the justification of this energy shift, if you’ve been listening, this shouldn’t surprise you. In fact, if you’ve been paying attention at all, the smell of this ominous lawsuit has been as morbid as the stench of the “Guineamen” as they approached the Gold Coast of the African Continent.
And here’s why.
The Music Industry’s Favorite Trick: Control
If you’ve ever paid attention to the strained relations between successful artists and their labels you already know the all too familiar play: The labels ‘find’ and invest in the talent, market and push the music, and collect most of the profits.
Prior to the 360 deal, artists typically benefitted from the tour revenue, merchandise sales and fame (partially from having to travel the nation to pay back the advance the label collects upon album sales). Since the earliest days of Motown, the system has always worked this way, and hasn’t changed much even during the streaming era.
Drake, however, is not your average artist. Arguably one of the greatest actors/mimics in the game (we’ll address this on another post) he’s essentially been hip-hop’s biggest top dog, filling up UMG’s repository year over year.
Billions of streams, sold-out tours, and the coveted ‘Drake Stimulus Package’ propelled many a budding artist to cultural relevancy in almost every market. The Drake brand is the quintessential capitalist dream. Drake, however, is still contending with the ultimate trial of his predecessors, Control.
Like his predecessors, Drake has battled extensively with the institution. Quitely leaving the Young Money/YMCMB imprint and later sued the entity through associates at the Aspire Music Group (led by Jas Prince). Having been the top ‘dawg’ at YMCMB and later UMG, Drake has repeatedly proved his worth by filling label coffers year after year with would-out tours, billions of streams, and the cultural imprint for over a decade that only the likes of Jay-Z, Tupac and Biggie could contend with.
However, no matter the impact, the faceless suits a.k.a kingmakers a.k.a the “higher ups” as Drake mentioned in his 30 for 30 Freestyle will always outlast the kings.
The Real Issue: When the “Higher-Ups” Get Janky
Speaking of kingmakers, let’s analyze some bars from Drake’s “30 for 30” Freestyle.
“Never thought I'd be talking from this perspective
But I'm not really sure what else you expected
When the higher-ups have all come together as a collective
With conspiracies to end my run and send me a message.”
the casual Drake fan could reasonably assume this was akin to a sort of petty litigation that he could easily surpass being at the time of this release Drake was still on his infamous run. However, with the release of Kendrick Lamar’s “Euphoria” and the success of “Not Like Us”, retrospectively he seems to be exposing the fundamental nature of the Hip Hop side of the music industry.
Based on his lyrics, it seems the kingmakers want control of the King, the money, and the narrative.
Some have said that the simple nature of this petition could completely change the music industry. To me it seems a bit of an exaggeration as always, however, let’s explore that as well.
With Drake penning these lines at the pinnacle of his career, he still felt the weight of the closed door conspiring. The same type of closed-door conspiring that some creators mention when they spot certain artists parlaying with CEOs and executives, seemingly rising to fame from nowhere.
Drake wasn’t just flexing his lyrical chops here—he was exposing a fundamental truth about the industry. The “higher-ups” he mentions aren’t just out to make money; they’re actively working to control the narrative, the artists, and the profits.
I think Drake was speaking to the reality of the music industry, where wild success comes at a cost. Sing for dinner, but don’t get too comfortable at the table. Because you won’t be here long.
“Kids'll lose their lives, got me scared of losing mine
And if I hold my tongue about it, I get crucified.”
The lawsuit may not change anything inherently about the music business, however, it might change the mind of some creative who wants to speak out against the corporate forces of the world who want to control what you think and believe. Speaking out against the system can cost you. And it’s not just music, just look at what’s happening to P-Diddy. While we’ve seen some of his behaviors captured on camera, some would speculate that his current legal troubles stem from his beef with Diageo.
Now I’m not saying that Diagio has anything to do with his current legal issues, however, who knows what legal protections he may have been afforded by being associated with the brand? Or who he may have pissed off by calling them racist?
Streaming Changed the Game but Not the Players
Over the years the narrative in hip hop has always been what are the sales, however, people have seemed to pay attention to what streaming has done to the industry. Seemingly slow to adopt, the labels have been incredibly crafty around how they’ve approached the streaming industry and the role they would play in getting music to the consumer’s hands.
Streaming is a symbiotic and slightly parasitic relationship between artists, venture capitalists, labels, and technology companies. Through platforms like Apple Music and Spotify, Drake and other artist alike have shown that labels can make massive amounts of revenue and control the narrative.
Instead of a billboard or payola to push new artists, Labels simply need to push a button. The platforms control who we see, who we like, and who is going to generate the most revenue for the company. Every stream equals a payday for the platform, the label, and as usual, the artist gets the smaller piece of the pie. And honestly, they have to understand that.
The way that the industry is structured is that THEY (the label) get their cut first. They provide the marketing, the exposure the resources for distribution, and in return, the artist gets fame, money, and cultural relevance.
This isn’t a guarantee, because ultimately it is we the people who decide who we want to see and hear. Streaming allows for real-time data to be shared with labels and artists and what the people want, is what they will get. UMG or Spotify will make sure of that.
Drake is no newbie to this game, he’s benefitted from it for the past decade-plus. So he should know when the people want to hear more “Not Like Us” The people will get what they want. And the label will push his rival with the same resources they used to catapult him to fame. It’s the colluseum, and no Gladiator lives forever...
This lawsuit is his way of demanding more than just a “thanks for your service” handshake, but what Gladiator gets a severance?
What This Means for the Industry
Honestly, in the long run, I don’t think this means shit for the industry. We’ve seen the music industry in a continual state of flux from Napster to ringtones and Taylor Swift reclaiming her masters and re-recording her debut album.
They’ve already proved that you cannot beat the machine. Artists like Rus are touting independence only to be swallowed up in distribution deals that are too good to turn down. Drake, one of the largest artists in the world can challenge the system, but will he come out on top? And even if he does, how many artists have the resources or catalog to do so themselves?
For every wave of artists who believe they can challenge the machine , there will be a tsunami of artists who are willing to give anything for their fair shot.
Final Thoughts
So yes, we should have seen this coming. This is a play that every artist including the likes of Micheal Jackson, Prince, and Taylor Swift has dealt with.
For years the most successful artists have navigated the murky waters, dodging conspiracy theories and subliminally calling out shady practices. The culmination of the ability to remain creative, and profitable allows the label to create these giant sea monsters of industry. And the revenue they’ve generated FOR the label shoves them right back into the sea.
Now, don’t take my tone as if all labels are bad or have malicious intentions. That’s far from the case. I really believe there are some savvy people music lovers at the helm who want to push music forward. I also believe that if you piss your boss or the owner of the business, they don’t owe you any favors.
Perhaps Drake shouldn’t have spent so much time fucking everyone’s girlfriend or chatting it up with the kids of some reputable music industry giants. When stuff like that happens, people owe you less and less and get tired of your shenanigans.
nonetheless, I have to give it to the man, he’s had an amazing run. But if anything to be revealed during this legal discourse doesn’t work in his favor. If he loses, he’s lost not only to his fellow ‘label mate’ but also to the powers that be. Winning proves Kendrick's point that He is NOT like us.
But this is just my rant on a Friday night..
What do you think? Is Drake leading a revolution, or is this just another industry squabble? Let me know in the comments. Or better yet, subscribe to keep up with all the SOVLful hot takes.
Stay tuned,
Your resident SOVL analyst