The Truth Behind The Ongoing Legal Battle Between Drake and his former label

 

The ongoing legal battle between Drake and his former label, Universal Music Group (UMG), has intensified with Drake amending his existing defamation lawsuit. The amendment specifically targets Kendrick Lamar’s performance of the controversial diss track “Not Like Us” during the Super Bowl LIX halftime show in February 2025.

Drake’s initial lawsuit, filed in January 2025, accused UMG of actively promoting “Not Like Us,” a song containing defamatory allegations against him. The amended complaint argues that Lamar’s performance to a massive global audience during the Super Bowl halftime show served to amplify these false claims on an unprecedented scale.

Drake’s legal team contends that UMG strategically utilized the Super Bowl’s vast viewership (over 133.5 million) to further disseminate the damaging narrative of “Not Like Us.” While Kendrick Lamar omitted the word “pedophile” during the live performance, the lawsuit argues that the song’s established meaning and the act of censoring the word itself reinforced the defamatory implications for the audience.

The amended complaint also points to Kendrick Lamar’s success at the Grammy Awards the week prior, where “Not Like Us” received significant recognition. Drake’s legal team suggests that UMG’s support of Lamar’s Grammy wins and his subsequent Super Bowl headlining spot directly contributed to the spread of the alleged defamation.

UMG has reportedly dismissed Drake’s amended claims as “baseless” and cautioned him against pursuing further legal action. However, Drake’s lawyer remains confident, stating that the amended complaint strengthens their case and that the discovery process will reveal UMG’s alleged misconduct. Drake is seeking unspecified damages from the label.

This development marks a significant escalation in the legal battle, bringing the high-profile Super Bowl halftime show into the center of the dispute. The entertainment industry and fans worldwide will be closely watching how this legal clash between two major artists and their former label unfolds.