Drake‘s legal team did not waste any time responding Thursday to Universal Music Group’s latest statement about the rapper’s ongoing defamation lawsuit against the music corporation for its release and promotion of Kendrick Lamar’s Grammy-winning diss track “Not Like Us.”
“UMG’s latest statement is a desperate attempt to spin the narrative and deflect from the truth,” a spokesperson for the rapper said. “Drake is holding the largest music conglomerate in the world accountable for its actions and doing so without fear.”
On Wednesday, Drake’s legal team amended his complaint against UMG to include Lamar’s performance at the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show, which featured a truncated rendition of “Not Like Us” that did not include a lyric calling Drake a “certified pedophile.” (Lamar did, however, still recite suggestive lines like, “Say, Drake, I hear you like ’em young.”)
In the amended complaint, the artist’s lawyers contended that the censoring of “pedophile” strengthened Drake’s defamation claim. The updated suit argued that the absence of the word from Lamar’s Super Bowl performance was indicative of the fact that “nearly everyone understands that it is defamatory to falsely brand someone a ‘certified pedophile.’”
UMG responded to the amended complaint Wednesday with a statement warning Drake of the repercussions that could come if his lawsuit is not dropped “in its entirety.”
“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 music corporation stated.
In its statement, UMG referenced a discovery motion granted two weeks ago allowing Drake to request documents like Lamar’s contract with UMG. “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,” UMG wrote. “As the old saying goes, ‘be careful what you wish for.’”
In their Thursday response, Drake’s legal team insisted, “UMG knows the case against it is only getting stronger. Drake welcomes discovery and has nothing to hide. It’s not Drake who should worry; it’s UMG’s current leadership.”
“UMG claims to stand for creativity, but in fact exploits it and the artist community knows that. UMG drains artists for its profits, then discards them. Drake joins a growing chorus of artists raising questions about UMG’s leadership,” added the rapper’s spokesperson. “UMG said, ‘be careful what you ask for,’ Drake knows exactly what he asked for: the truth and accountability.”
