Table of Contents
- Lawsuit Overview
- Kendrick Lamar’s Performances in Focus
- UMG’s Response
- History of the Drake-Lamar Feud
- Legal and Industry Implications
1. Lawsuit Overview
Drake has filed an amended defamation lawsuit against his record label, Universal Music Group (UMG), claiming that the label promoted content that portrayed him as a pedophile. The focus of this complaint is rapper Kendrick Lamar’s live performances of his hit song “Not Like Us” at both the Super Bowl halftime show and the Grammy Awards.
According to the filing, these performances amplified false allegations and led to increased threats against Drake and his family. The lawsuit, originally filed in January in Manhattan federal court, now includes new claims linked to the widespread exposure of Lamar’s lyrics.
2. Kendrick Lamar’s Performances in Focus
Drake pointed to Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show, which was viewed by more than 133.5 million people, as a pivotal moment in what he described as a character assassination. Although Lamar omitted the word “pedophile” during the live show, Drake argued that the message was still clear to the audience:
“It was the first, and will hopefully be the last, Super Bowl halftime show orchestrated to assassinate the character of another artist,” Drake’s complaint reads.
One line from “Not Like Us” performed at the Super Bowl — “Drake, I hear you like ’em young” — is highlighted as a key example of this alleged defamation.
3. UMG’s Response
UMG responded by denying the claims and criticized Drake’s legal approach:
“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,” said a UMG spokesperson.
The label, which has worked with Drake for over 16 years, had already attempted to dismiss the original lawsuit and is expected to file for dismissal of the updated complaint as well.
Drake is seeking unspecified monetary damages, alleging that UMG promoted Lamar’s content to boost profits while damaging his reputation.
4. History of the Drake-Lamar Feud
Drake and Kendrick Lamar have engaged in a decade-long rivalry, frequently clashing in their music. The most recent flare-up occurred when Drake released “Family Matters” on May 3, 2024, in which he accused Lamar of domestic abuse, infidelity, and questioned the paternity of one of Lamar’s children.
Lamar responded the next day with “Not Like Us”, a track that not only shot to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks, but also won Grammys for Record and Song of the Year.
5. Legal and Industry Implications
Drake’s case — Graham v. UMG Recordings Inc., filed in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York — challenges the boundaries between artistic expression and defamation in the music industry.
Drake’s attorney, Michael Gottlieb, stated:
“UMG will be held accountable for the consequences of its ill-conceived decisions.”
The case raises critical questions about the responsibility of record labels in managing artist disputes, especially when artistic expression spills into the public and legal arenas.
