[UPDATE: Since this article was published, Drake’s legal team has responded to UMG’s recent statement, calling it a “desperate attempt to spin the narrative.” They clarified that the Texas discovery case was dropped because discovery will now proceed in New York, which they consider a win. “Drake welcomes discovery and has nothing to hide,” the statement reads, while suggesting that UMG’s top leadership, including Lucian Grainge and John Janick, should be prepared to testify. The team also accused UMG of exploiting artists for profit and called for greater transparency at the executive and board levels.]

ORIGINAL STORY: Drake’s legal battle with Universal Music Group just escalated. As reported by the Toronto Star on Thursday (April 17), the rapper amended his defamation lawsuit to accuse the label of deliberately amplifying Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” diss through high-profile performances that damaged his safety and reputation, including Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show.

The updated 107-page filing built on Drake’s January suit, asserting that UMG amplified what the Toronto rapper called a “false and malicious narrative.” “It was the first, and will hopefully be the last, Super Bowl halftime show orchestrated to assassinate the character of another artist,” it stated. Drake’s team argued that although the word “pedophile” was removed from the broadcast version of “Not Like Us” at the NFL’s request, the overall meaning remained intact — and damaging.

“Nearly everyone understands that it is defamatory to falsely brand someone a ‘certified pedophile,’” the complaint read. It also claimed that exposing the song to over 133 million Super Bowl viewers, including children, compounded the harm. In addition to the halftime show, the lawsuit called out Lamar’s Grammy appearance and wins, alleging UMG intentionally used both events to “maximize exposure” and profit from the track’s virality.

UMG responds to Drake’s lawsuit amendment with threat of discovery

UMG fired back, calling the complaint “baseless,” and warning that Drake’s legal maneuvers could backfire. “Be careful what you wish for,” the company expressed, per Music Business Worldwide.

The label further dismissed the suit as a string of “absurd legal steps,” pointing to what it called a pattern of reckless filings. The company claimed the OVO boss previously dropped a similar case in Texas without fanfare and revised his New York complaint only to add “more baseless allegations.”

UMG also criticized Drake’s team for walking back earlier claims — such as accusations of bot-driven streaming manipulation — in favor of more generalized complaints that the label “turned a blind eye.” “Should his legal representatives senselessly keep the New York lawsuit alive, we will demonstrate that all remaining claims are without merit,” it warned.

Drake links Kendrick Lamar’s diss to real-life violence and harm

Drake’s legal team is connecting the dots between the viral success of “Not Like Us” and escalating threats against his life. The lawsuit claims that shortly after the track dropped, a security guard was shot outside Drake’s Toronto home, and his OVO store was vandalized with graffiti reading, “They not like us.”

The amended complaint accused UMG of “choosing corporate greed over the safety and well-being of its artists,” adding that the label knowingly promoted falsehoods for profit.

Meanwhile, UMG maintains that diss tracks like Lamar’s are part of Hip Hop’s DNA, legally protected as opinion and hyperbole. “Instead of accepting the loss like the unbothered rap artist he often claims to be, [Drake] has sued his own record label in a misguided attempt to salve his wounds,” the company wrote in a prior filing.

Discovery moves forward in the battle between Drake and UMG

Despite UMG’s push to delay the process, a judge recently ruled that discovery can begin. This means both sides will gain access to internal records, including contracts tied to Kendrick Lamar, incentive payouts for UMG execs, and communications that could reveal the label’s intent.

“With discovery now moving forward, Drake will expose the evidence of UMG’s misconduct, and UMG will be held accountable for the consequences of its ill-conceived decisions.”

UMG has until May 7 — the one-year anniversary of the shooting outside Drake’s mansion — to file a new motion to dismiss the case. Whether this will lead to a courtroom showdown or another chapter in rap’s most public beef remains to be seen.