UMG refused to release Pop Smoke album over perceived Drake diss
Universal Music Group threatened to block one of Pop Smoke‘s posthumous albums over lyrics they believed were dissing Drake. The late Brooklyn rapper’s manager, Steven Victor, revealed that Pusha T’s verse on ‘Paranoia’ caused problems at UMG because they thought he was taking shots at Drizzy, who is signed to the label.
It has now come to light that they refused to release his 2020 debut album, Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon, with Pusha’s verse. Ultimately, Push was removed from the song, which features Young Thug and Gunna.
During an interview with Billboard, Victor, who also manages Pusha, said, “What happened on the Pop Smoke song is that UMG thought that [Pusha T] was dissing Drake on that song. He wasn’t, but they thought he was. Pop Smoke was released on my label and obviously I managed Pusha.
“So they came to me and said, ‘We’re not going to put this out now, unless you get Pusha to change these lyrics.’ Even though it has nothing to do with Pop Smoke, they’re like, ‘Either he changes these lyrics, or we’re not putting the album out.’”
He added, “What happened to freedom of speech? First of all, he’s not dissing Drake. But how do you get to tell him to just change his lyrics or you’re not putting this album out?”
Young Thug previously called out Pusha T over his verse on the song. “I don’t respect the Pusha T verse on the song with me and Gunna cause I don’t have nun to do with y’all beef nor does Gunna, and if I knew that was about him I would’ve made changes on our behalf… this rapper shit so gay,” he said.
In response, Pusha said, “Don’t feel bad, nobody knew what the verse was abt. The label heads that stopped it didn’t even know. They only assume because he told them. The same way he told about the Ross ‘Maybach 6’ verse.
“And if he’ll tell record executives abt rap verses, God knows what else he’ll tell. I don’t deal in police work, police rappers or police n-ggas!! I would never look or need your respect for what it is I bring to this rap game.”
Earlier this week, Pusha revealed he left Def Jam (owned by UMG) because the label didn’t want Kendrick Lamar featured on the new Clipse album. “They wanted me to ask Kendrick to censor his verse, which of course I was never doing,” he said. “And then they wanted me to take the record off.