AceShowbiz - Drake has reached a private settlement with iHeartMedia following his lawsuit against the Texas-based radio conglomerate. The lawsuit stemmed from his claims that his record label, Universal Music Group (UMG), made "covert payments" to promote Kendrick Lamar's diss track "Not Like Us."

The track, which has become one of the most contentious pieces in hip-hop, includes accusations that Drake deems not only false but defamatory.

The settlement was confirmed in a court filing in Bexar County, Texas. The filing, obtained by Rolling Stone, reads, "Petitioner and iHeartMedia, Inc. have reached an amicable resolution of the dispute to the satisfaction of both sides."

This settlement was further clarified by a representative from iHeartMedia who said, "In exchange for documents that showed iHeart did nothing wrong, Drake agreed to drop his petition. No payments were made - by either one of us."

Drake's legal team echoed this sentiment, expressing their satisfaction with the resolution but refraining from further comment.

This does not mark the end of Drake's legal journey. The rapper separately sued UMG for defamation in January, alleging that the company orchestrated a campaign to make "Not Like Us" a viral sensation while they're fully aware of the lyrics that contained serious accusations against the rapper.

UMG, the parent company for both Drake and Lamar, has a looming March 17 deadline to potentially file a motion to dismiss the defamation claim. The court filings reveal Drake's allegations that UMG Recordings "funneled payments to iHeartRadio and its radio stations as part of a pay-to-play scheme."

This battle between Drake and Kendrick Lamar has evolved into a media spectacle, highlighted by Lamar's multiple wins at the Grammy Awards, his performance of the track at the Super Bowl halftime show on February 9 and Conan O'Brien's joke at the recent Academy Awards.

The friction between Drake and UMG adds a significant layer to this saga. Drake's defamation suit filed in New York outlines that UMG aimed to exploit the damage to Drake's reputation for financial gain. The lawsuit emphasizes the substantial physical and online threats Drake has faced since the track's release.

UMG counters that Drake's claims are baseless and illogical, arguing that they have heavily invested in Drake's career and have no motivation to harm their artist.

A UMG spokesperson emphasized, "We have invested massively in his music and our employees around the world have worked tirelessly for many years to help him achieve historic commercial and personal financial success. We have not and do not engage in defamation - against any individual."

As these legal battles continue to unfold, they expose the complex and often contentious relationships within the music industry. For now, the young and vibrant audiences of the hip-hop world watch closely as one of the genre's most significant feuds rages on.