Lucian Grainge: All about UMG’s CEO at the center of Drake’s allegations against Kendrick Lamar

The music industry is abuzz as Drake’s legal dispute with Universal Music Group (UMG) brings the spotlight onto Lucian Grainge, the influential chairman and CEO of the world’s largest music label. Drake’s accusations, filed through a pre-action petition in Manhattan court, claim that UMG favored Kendrick Lamar by artificially inflating the popularity of Lamar’s diss track Not Like Us.

Drake alleges that UMG engaged in deceptive tactics, including using bots, drastically reducing licensing rates to Spotify, and orchestrating a “payola” scheme with the goal of tarnishing his reputation. 

According to the filing, Drake’s team asserts, “[UMG] engaged in conduct designed to artificially inflate the popularity of ‘Not Like Us’… including by licensing the song at drastically reduced rates to Spotify and using ‘bots’ to generate the false impression that the song was more popular than it was in reality.”

At the center of these allegations is 64-year-old British record executive Lucian Grainge, who has been UMG’s CEO since 2010. 

Over his decades-long career, Grainge has worked with industry legends including Jay-Z, Rihanna, Elton John, and Katy Perry. Recognized for his contributions, Grainge was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018 and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2020.

Drake previously referenced Grainge in his 2023 track Away From Home, rapping:
"Who the CEO of Universal? They mistaken, 'cause Google saying Lucian, but that just doesn't make sense. Who filling up the piggy bank? Who bringing home the bacon?"

Adding fuel to the fire, Kanye West’s past criticism of Grainge has resurfaced. 

On The Download Podcast, West described Grainge as Drake’s “rich baby daddy” and accused him of over-commercializing Drake’s music. “Where’s Lucian? Serve your master, n**ga,” Kanye rapped in a remix of Like That.

Despite the buzz surrounding Drake’s accusations, the Manhattan court filing is not yet a lawsuit. It is a pre-action petition aimed at gathering information under New York law. Legal experts suggest that UMG may not even be named in a potential lawsuit, but Drake’s lawyers have already hinted at alleging violations of the RICO Act and deceptive business practices.

Both Kendrick Lamar and Drake have maintained relationships with UMG throughout their careers. Lamar’s TDE imprint is distributed by Interscope, a UMG subsidiary, while Drake signed directly with UMG after his deal with Young Money’s Republic Records.

As the legal battle unfolds, Grainge and UMG have denied any wrongdoing. However, Drake’s accusations and West’s resurfaced comments have intensified scrutiny on the powerful music executive and his company’s practices.