Photo Credit: Drake – “Make Them Know” (Official Music Video)
Drake released three albums simultaneously, starting with his highly anticipated ICEMAN. But rumors abound that he’s looking for a swift exit from UMG.
Over the weekend, Drake surprised fans with not just one album, but three, all dropping simultaneously, starting with his highly anticipated ICEMAN. But the move has stirred rumors that Drake, who is suing Universal Music Group for defamation over his beef with Kendrick Lamar, delivered all three albums at the same time in an effort to get out of his deal with the label giant.
The three albums—ICEMAN, Maid of Honour, and Habibti—have certainly got fans talking, not least of all due to the amount of music videos Drake released alongside them. But is there an ulterior motive to the rapper’s decision to drop three albums at once? Signs point to yes.
“These three albums add to the album requirements of Drake’s high-value agreement with UMG in a fraction of the usual time, with his estimated $400 million deal signed in 2022 making the financial stakes enormous,” said music commentator Eric Alper.
“It’s no secret that artists sometimes release ‘filler’ albums or engage in legal disputes with their labels to complete contracts signed years ago, when they might not have imagined they’d still be bound by them,” Alper added. “Drake just said, ‘Yeah, I’m done. See you.’”
Drake filed a lawsuit against UMG for defamation last year, alleging that the label promoted and profited from Kendrick Lamar’s diss track, “Not Like Us.” The case is currently under appeal following a dismissal in October.
“He recently tried to sue his record label, UMG, and reportedly feels a level of disdain for its president, Lucian Grainge,” said hip-hop analyst Dalton Higgins, who has taught university courses analyzing the rapper’s career. “There’s no other way to explain this.”
Several tracks include some lyrics that seem to further suggest the Toronto rapper is eager to get out of his UMG deal, which isn’t surprising given his decision last year to sue the label.
“I’m better off independent, they should let him leave, yeah / ‘Cause I just wanna be free,” Drake raps in the track “Make Them Pay.”
“Swear my label gotta free me, baby,” he asserts on “Janice STFU,” in lyrics that more directly address the situation.
It’s worth noting that such a tactic has some precedent. In 2016, Frank Ocean was speculated to have fulfilled his Def Jam contract with the release of Endless, followed just a day later by Blonde, which he released independently.
Frank Zappa also tried to pull a similar maneuver in the ‘70s with Warner Bros. Records, delivering four albums at once to end his contract. However, Warner fought back, which sparked a multi-year legal battle and a broader war with the label. Ultimately, the label released the albums on a slower timeframe, against Zappa’s wishes.
