UMG Reposts Kendrick Lamar Tour Dates Amidst Drake Legal Battle

Drake has seemingly made enemies on all sides. He was dissed by countless other superstars, and now he’s taking legal action against his own label, Universal Music Group. The rapper alleges that the record label boosted streams of Kendrick Lamar‘s diss “Not Like Us.” Lamar is also part of the UMG family, and he recently announced the Grand National Tour with SZA. Instead of staying out of the Drake and Lamar conflict, the label decided to show their support for the latter via social media.

Kendrick Lamar released the tour dates via Instagram on December 3. The dates span North America, and will be a co-headline tour with his former TDE label mate, SZA. Fans everywhere flocked to the IG comment section to voice their excitement. UMG decided to get in on the fun, and reposted the cover image and the tour dates for Grand National. It makes sense that UMG would want to promote artists who net them major profit, and Lamar has had a banner year thanks to “Not Like Us.” Still, it’s easy to look at what the label is doing as a subtle slight to Drake.

Universal Music Group issued a statement shortly after Drake made his lawsuit plans public. The label denied any wrongdoing in the promotion of Lamar’s single. Furthermore, they criticized the 6 God and implied that Lamar was simply more popular with listeners. “We employ the highest ethical practices in our marketing and promotional campaigns,” UMG stated. “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.”

The Grand National Tour has also garnered intrigue from Drake haters for its Toronto date. Lamar and SZA are set to perform in the 6 God’s hometown on June 14, which is just a few days short of Father‘s Day. Lamar repeatedly bashed Drake for his parenting skills throughout their battle. He went as far as to allege that Drizzy has a daughter that he’s hiding from the world. Fans theorize that Lamar has chosen his Toronto date as an additional dig. Regardless of the intention, UMG appears to be onboard with the Compton icon.