Kai Cenat is a popular live streamer known for his entertaining content on platforms like Twitch. Recently Kai found himself in the middle of a high profile rap feud. This involvement came as a result of content he put out that pertained to one of the individuals involved in said conflict.
Kai Cenat and Drake Lawsuit
Kai Cenat became associated with the legal drama with Drake and Universal Music Group (UMG). He was brought up due to some popular reaction videos he made which incorporated the use of the song "Not Like Us." His initial reaction was one of surprise and confusion regarding how he got named in legal documents , having believed he was just a source of promotional aid through his streaming and online content.
Confused Initial Reaction
During one of his live streams a comment informed him that he was a part of a lawsuit. Upon reading he voiced concern and surprise for how that could have taken place. There was an emphasis on his not being aware that his content might somehow have been involved or of impact.
The Allegation
In the document from Drake it claims that UMG "whitelisted" the songs enabling content creators like Kai and other influencers to profit from those materials. He said that their ability to create and monetize reaction videos depended on permission from UMG and the way the music is handled on streaming services.
Financial Impact
Kai in response admitted he and others “ate that week”. But they made revenue because all of their videos were monetized. His ability to remain entertaining has led to a wide range of income streams and an opportunity for others to receive exposure as well which is something the industry seems to find more unique ways to work around. This financial side may be where much of the lawsuit began due to who benefits financially.
UMG Response to the Claims
UMG immediately refuted Drake’s claims and stated there would be no intent to undermine its own artists. It claims they promote artist within ethical boundaries and called the lawsuit both illogical and frivolous. UMG has made sure to make it clear the label does not work against its artists which many are taking as genuine.
Other Parties Mentioned in Suit
Besides Kai other streaming channels like Zias and RDCWorld also were part of this same filing which included an image of their channels. It became very widely seen in many platforms across the internet which led to discussions about the state of social media in business dealings.
The Kendrick Lamar Connection
Kendrick Lamar's diss track became very popular with millions of streams across platforms. The use of the song and the legal action taken against a company not Lamar added to the intrigue to the controversy with much speculation on each party's angle.
“Not Like Us” Hits 1 Billion Streams
The very diss track itself "Not Like Us" hit the milestone of 1 billion streams. This landmark made many note that though a battle is occurring it made one song successful as it also become part of the "Billion Club” of streaming platforms which marks significant milestones and views.
Reactions From Involved Parties
Other streaming personalities that have also been called out such as RDCWorld stated they had learned a valuable lesson in "accepting an L” as those can happen on all journeys of business and entertainment. Another streamer, B. Lou, even responded with a diss track directed at Drake who is perceived to not accept the situation he has come into.
B. Lou's Diss Track
B. Lou, a content creator featured in Drake’s suit made a diss track to showcase how absurd he thought this entire ordeal was, also claiming Drake “went out sad”. With all those aspects it also made his point regarding how strange the entire ordeal was making even more public attention come onto it.
Drake's Petition Withdraw
Drake eventually withdrew his action seeking pre-discovery of communications and internal records of the companies regarding “Not Like Us.” After this Drake had met with representatives from UMG and Spotify before filing the withdraw with no objection from either party.
Legal Analysts Perspective
Various law professionals noted it as a very "unique" and "puzzling" action for the lawsuit and the likelihood of trial is very minimal. Many of the concerns is it's ability to uphold scrutiny in the courts and many also thought the actions taken could be seen as “outrageous". There was an underlying theory this action would likely be used as leverage for renegotiating his deal with UMG.
Concerns with Defamation Claim
A main point for discussion came to question if rap music lyrics could be seen as defamation due to it being deemed as “creative content”. There would need to be definitive actions from those creating the music and intent that would indicate what was created was an untruth. One of the lawyers mentioned the issue could not properly address rap within artistic elements and used what was created as though they were a series of facts.
Key Takeaways
- Kai Cenat's reaction to being named in Drake's lawsuit became a topic across social media with a series of reactions by parties mentioned.
- UMG denied they acted unethical.
- The song "Not Like Us" which sparked a large part of the events reached a billion streams on Spotify.
- Multiple reactions and views into what is the reality of a public battle on various streaming platforms is what the main component has now become.
- This highlights the complicated nature of music rights as well as the business structure of online social media interaction within the business aspect of creation.