Drake Slapped With Copyright Strike After Dropping Unreleased Music

Drake dominated the news cycle when he dropped “100 Gigs” on our collective headtops. The rollout worked, as fans sifted through unreleased footage and reactive positively to new collabs with Latto and 21 Savage. The only problem was, Drake’s label did not appreciate the drop. Universal Music Group, aka UMG, issued a copyright strike against the rapper on August 9. They ensured that the three new songs Drake put out were taken down. They are no longer available to stream on the rapper’s official website.

The copyright strike was actually confirmed by Drake himself. The rapper took to his recently revealed Finsta account, @plottttwistttttt, to share the notification he received from UMG. The screenshot stated that access to the content had been restricted due to reports from a third party. The third party, being, of course, Drizzy’s label. It’s currently unknown which new song triggered the copyright strike on the part of UMG. The only song that’s gained traction, “It’s Up,” has done so due to 21 Savage’s combative verse.

Drizzy’s relationship with UMG has been a topic of speculation in recent years. The rapper reportedly signed a “LeBron-Sized” deal with the label back in 2021. Variety reported that the deal incorporated every facet of Drake’s business: recordings, publishing and merchandise. Neither UMG nor Drake has divulged the specific dollar amount that was agreed upon. The latter, however, did allude to owning his own masters on the 2021 song “The Remorse.” Drake has not spoken publicly about his interactions with UMG, but it was widely theorized that the label got involved in the recent battle involving Kendrick Lamar.

TMZ claimed that UMG was putting a halt to the Drake and Kendrick Lamar beef in May. A supposed leak stated that the label was concerned about the impact the beef would have on the rapper’s sales. “Drake is losing the beef in UMG’s eyes,” the document read. “So from UMG’s perspective, the sooner than this beef ends the better.” Despite gaining some traction online, UMG quickly shut down the rumor. The reps for the label asserted that they had no involvement in the battle. “Kendrick and Drake’s beef is between them,” their statement noted. “UMG just doesn’t think it’s their place to step in either way.”