iHeartMedia says legal dispute with Drake was settled because it ‘did nothing wrong’

HOUSTON — Texas-based iHeartMedia said it settled its legal dispute with Drake over Kendrick Lamar’s dis track “Not Like Us” after demonstrating that it “did nothing wrong.” Drake had alleged in a legal petition filed in November that iHeartMedia received illegal payments from Universal Music Group to boost radio airplay for “Not Like Us.” UMG is the parent record label for both Drake and Lamar. A representative for Drake disputed iHeart’s statement Tuesday, saying the company “has not provided a single document as of yet to Drake, let alone any information that showed they did nothing wrong.” “This back and forth is silly. Drake’s petition in Texas also alleges UMG knew “the song itself, as well as its accompanying album art and music video, attacked the character of another one of UMG’s most prominent artists, Drake, by falsely accusing him of being a sex offender.” Besides the legal petition in Texas, Drake in January filed a defamation lawsuit in federal court in New York City against UMG over what he alleges are false allegations of pedophilia made in “Not Like Us.” Lamar is not named in the lawsuit. Drake’s lawyers said in a statement that they were “pleased with the Court’s decision to reject UMG’s continued attempts to stall discovery — another clear sign that UMG cannot run from or bury the truth.” UMG’s lawyers did not immediately reply to a request for comment.