Importance Score: 72 / 100 🔴
Drake Enhances Defamation Lawsuit Against Universal Music Group, Citing Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Performance
Hip hop artist Drake is escalating his legal battle with Universal Music Group (UMG), incorporating rival rapper Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show performance of “Not Like Us” into his ongoing defamation lawsuit. The amended legal filing contends that Lamar’s rendition amplified the diss track’s defamatory allegations of pedophilia against Drake.
Lawsuit Amended to Include Super Bowl Halftime Show
The revised lawsuit, submitted Wednesday in Manhattan federal court, highlights the extensive reach of the Super Bowl broadcast. “The Recording was performed during the 2025 Super Bowl and broadcast to an unprecedented audience for a Super Bowl halftime show, exceeding 133 million viewers, including millions of children and countless others previously unfamiliar with the song or its preceding tracks,” the document states.
The lawsuit further asserts, “It marked the inaugural, and hopefully concluding, Super Bowl halftime show deliberately designed to malign the reputation of a fellow artist.”
Allegations of Defamatory Content Persist
Despite Lamar’s removal of the specific term “pedophile” during the live Super Bowl performance, Drake’s legal team argues that this very omission underscores the widespread recognition of the song’s defamatory nature. The lawsuit also alleges that Universal Music Group strategically used financial resources and leveraged professional relationships to secure Lamar’s headliner position at the Super Bowl and actively promoted the controversial performance.
Drake’s Legal Team Confident in Amended Case
“Drake’s amended complaint significantly strengthens an already compelling case,” declared Michael Gottlieb, Drake’s attorney, in a public statement. “Drake is committed to revealing the evidence of UMG’s misconduct, and UMG will be held accountable for the repercussions of its imprudent decisions.”
vCard.red is a free platform for creating a mobile-friendly digital business cards. You can easily create a vCard and generate a QR code for it, allowing others to scan and save your contact details instantly.
The platform allows you to display contact information, social media links, services, and products all in one shareable link. Optional features include appointment scheduling, WhatsApp-based storefronts, media galleries, and custom design options.
Record-Breaking Super Bowl Viewership
This year’s Super Bowl broadcast and its halftime show achieved record viewership, according to Nielsen ratings, further emphasizing the platform Lamar’s performance utilized.
Universal Music Group Denies Allegations
In response to the amended court filing, Universal Music Group, the parent record label for both Drake and Lamar, reiterated its denial of Drake’s accusations.
“Drake, an undeniably accomplished global artist with whom we have enjoyed a productive 16-year partnership, is being misguided by his legal counsel into pursuing a series of baseless legal actions,” UMG stated. “It is regrettable that these unwarranted and frivolous legal theatrics persist.”
Grammy Awards Performance Also Under Scrutiny
The amended lawsuit broadens its scope to include the Grammy Awards ceremony in February, where defamatory excerpts of “Not Like Us” were allegedly played after the single received five awards, including the prestigious song and record of the year accolades. The lawsuit contends that Universal Music Group played a role in securing both the Grammy nominations and facilitating the song’s broadcast during the ceremony.
Original Lawsuit and Underlying Claims
Drake initially initiated legal proceedings against Universal Music Group in January, seeking undisclosed damages. His initial complaint accused UMG of publishing and promoting “Not Like Us” despite its purportedly false allegations of pedophilia and insinuations of vigilante action. Lamar himself was not named as a defendant in the original lawsuit.
According to the lawsuit, the dissemination of the track resulted in tangible harm to Drake, including a home invasion attempt that led to the shooting of a security guard at his Toronto residence, multiple further break-in attempts, pervasive online harassment, reputational damage, and a decline in his brand value ahead of contract renegotiations with UMG scheduled for this year. The amended lawsuit provides additional online commentary to illustrate the public belief surrounding the pedophilia allegations.
Background of the Drake-Lamar Hip Hop Feud
Drake, 38, and Kendrick Lamar, 37, both Grammy-winning musicians with significant accolades, have been engaged in a protracted and escalating hip hop rivalry widely considered one of the most significant in recent memory.
While the two artists collaborated in the past, public tensions began to surface around 2013, with Lamar initiating public criticisms of Drake. The feud intensified dramatically in the preceding year, marked by the release of diss tracks targeting each artist, including Lamar’s “Not Like Us.”
A key lyric from “Not Like Us” referenced in the lawsuit states: “Say, Drake, I hear you like ’em young / You better not ever go to cell block one,” further fueling the controversy.
UMG Seeks Dismissal, Cites Drake’s Role in “Rap Battle”
Universal Music Group has filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, asserting that Drake himself contributed to the ongoing conflict through his own diss tracks aimed at Lamar.
“Plaintiff, one of the most commercially successful recording artists of all time, experienced a setback in a rap battle that he instigated and actively participated in,” UMG’s motion argues. “Rather than accepting the outcome like the composed rap artist he often portrays himself to be, he has initiated legal action against his own record label in a misguided effort to alleviate his wounded pride.”