Drake expands legal battle with Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl performance and “Not Like Us”

In an escalating legal confrontation, Drake is intensifying his lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG) over Kendrick Lamar's diss track "Not Like Us." The rapper alleges that Lamar’s recent Grammy victories and Super Bowl performance have further tarnished his reputation, taking the dispute to new heights.

Both artists are signed to UMG, albeit under different divisions, and their feud reached a peak last year with a widely publicized diss track battle. Lamar’s track, which featured harsh lyrics aimed at Drake, became a chart-topping success. In his original lawsuit filed in January, Drake, whose full name is Aubrey Drake Graham, accused UMG of defamation, claiming the music giant spread a "false and malicious narrative" when it promoted Lamar's song. The track’s controversial lyrics label Drake as a “certified pedophile” and a “predator” deserving to be placed “on neighborhood watch.”

UMG responded last month by filing a motion to dismiss, arguing that the lawsuit was simply an attempt by Drake to cover up his loss in the rap battle. However, in a recent amendment to the lawsuit, Drake's legal team argues that Lamar's Grammy triumphs and Super Bowl performance significantly amplified the reach of the defamatory song. The lawsuit contends that these high-profile events introduced "new listeners" to the track, which Drake claims directly led to increased threats against him and his family.

"Not only did streams of the recording increase significantly following these two mega-cultural events, but threats against Drake and his family did as well," the complaint states.

Lamar’s Grammy wins in February, where he took home five awards, were followed by his high-profile Super Bowl halftime performance, viewed by an estimated 133.5 million people. Although Lamar omitted the word “pedophile” during his live performance, Drake’s lawsuit argues that the exposure he gained from these events led to further harm to his reputation.

Drake's legal team insists the lawsuit is not aimed at Lamar personally, but rather at UMG for allegedly promoting, exploiting, and profiting from the defamatory content. "The music company decided to publish, promote, exploit, and monetize allegations that it understood were not only false but dangerous," the complaint reads.

The lawsuit highlights several instances where Drake faced personal threats following the song's release, including a shooting incident outside his home in May 2024 that injured his security guard. His attorneys claim that UMG, aware of the dangers posed by the song’s lyrics, continued to promote it for financial gain, disregarding the safety and well-being of its artists.

"Even though UMG enriched itself and its shareholders by exploiting Drake’s music for years, and knew that the salacious allegations against Drake were false, UMG chose corporate greed over the safety and well-being of its artists," the lawsuit states.

Drake’s legal team further argues that UMG’s business connections were leveraged to secure Grammy nominations and wins for Lamar’s track, accusing the company of using its platform to "assassinate the character" of another artist during one of the largest cultural events of the year.

In response, UMG dismissed the latest allegations as “frivolous and reckless,” asserting that the legal actions were damaging to Drake's reputation and lacked any merit. “Drake, unquestionably one of the world’s most accomplished artists, is being misled by his legal representatives into taking one absurd legal step after another,” the statement reads. “It is shameful that these foolish and frivolous legal theatrics continue."

Despite UMG’s claims, a federal judge recently denied the company’s request to delay the discovery phase of the case. This means both parties will now have the opportunity to gather and present sensitive evidence, potentially leading to new revelations in the case. Drake’s attorney, Michael Gottlieb, expressed confidence that the ongoing legal process would expose UMG's misconduct, ensuring the company is held accountable for its actions.

The outcome of this high-profile case could have significant implications for the music industry, particularly in how record labels handle controversial content and manage artist reputations. As discovery moves forward, both Drake and UMG are bracing for a legal battle that is set to unfold in the public eye.