Besmirched rapper Drake is at it again...
Following Drake suing Universal Music for undisclosed damages in January, the Canadian artist is now complaining about rival rapper Kendrick Lamar’s performance of ‘Not Like Us’ at this year's Super Bowl, adding it to his defamation lawsuit against against Universal Music Group over the diss track and its allegations of paedophilia against Drake.
“The Recording was performed during the 2025 Super Bowl and broadcast to the largest audience for a Super Bowl halftime show ever, over 133 million people, including millions of children, and millions more who had never before heard the song or any of the songs that preceded it," says the amended lawsuit filed in federal court in Manhattan.
It adds: "It was the first, and will hopefully be the last, Super Bowl halftime show orchestrated to assassinate the character of another artist.”
Although Lamar removed the word “paedophile” that's in the track during the halftime show, the fact that it was omitted showed that “nearly everyone understands that it is defamatory,” the suit says. It also alleges Universal Music used financial benefits and leveraged business relationships to secure the headliner spot for Lamar at the Super Bowl, and promoted the performance.
“Drake’s amended complaint makes an already strong case stronger,” his lawyer, Michael Gottlieb, said in a statement. "Drake will expose the evidence of UMG’s misconduct, and UMG will be held accountable for the consequences of its ill-conceived decisions.”
In a statement responding to the court filing, Universal Music, the parent record label of both artists, continued to deny Drake's allegations.
“Drake, unquestionably one of the world’s most accomplished artists and with whom we’ve enjoyed a 16-year successful relationship, is being misled by his legal representatives into taking one absurd legal step after another," the company said. “It is shameful that these foolish and frivolous legal theatrics continue.”
“Be careful what you wish for,” the music giant further warned Drake in a statement issued to Music Business Worldwide. “Two weeks ago, his representatives celebrated a ‘win’: the granting of a routine discovery motion. That ‘win’ will become a loss if this frivolous and reckless lawsuit is not dropped in its entirety because Drake will personally be subject to discovery as well,” Universal Music Group cautioned.
“Should his legal representatives senselessly keep the New York lawsuit alive, we will demonstrate that all remaining claims are without merit,” UMG warned.
A spokesperson for Drake said in a prepared release that the artist is “holding the largest music conglomerate in the world accountable for its actions and doing so without fear.”
The amended lawsuit also adds that defamatory portions of 'Not Like Us' were played at the Grammy Awards in February, when the song won five awards, including Song and Record of the Year. The suit claims that Universal Music also helped secure the Grammy nominations and allowed the song to be played at the ceremony.
In its motion to dismiss the lawsuit, Universal Music says Drake helped fuel the beef with his own inflammatory diss tracks aimed at Lamar.
“Plaintiff, one of the most successful recording artists of all time, lost a rap battle that he provoked and in which he willingly participated," the motion says. "Instead of accepting the loss like the unbothered rap artist he often claims to be, he has sued his own record label in a misguided attempt to salve his wounds.”
What’s certain is that Drake can’t let it go and in continuing to not accept his loss, is further damaging his already tanked reputation.
UMG has until 7 May to file another motion to dismiss the amended complaint.
