Drake Sues Over Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl ‘Not Like Us’/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Drake has amended his defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group, now including Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl performance of “Not Like Us.” The rapper claims the halftime show defamed him before over 133 million viewers. Universal Music denies wrongdoing and criticizes Drake’s legal strategy.
Drake vs. Kendrick: Super Bowl Performance Joins Legal Battle – Quick Look
- Drake amends lawsuit against Universal Music over Lamar’s hit “Not Like Us”
- Claims Lamar’s Super Bowl performance defamed him before 133M viewers
- Alleges UMG financially backed and promoted the halftime show
- Lamar omitted “pedophile” lyric during performance, which Drake says proves intent
- Universal denies claims, calling the lawsuit “frivolous and shameful”
- Drake’s lawsuit cites violence at his Toronto home, drop in brand value
- Grammys performance and awards for “Not Like Us” also included in suit
- Legal battle escalates between two of hip hop’s biggest stars
Drake Expands Defamation Suit Over Super Bowl Performance of Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’
Deep Looks
NEW YORK (AP) — Rap superstar Drake has expanded his defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG) to include Kendrick Lamar’s performance of “Not Like Us” during the record-breaking 2025 Super Bowl halftime show, alleging the show was used as a platform to damage his reputation in front of a massive global audience.
Filed Wednesday in federal court in Manhattan, the amended suit claims Lamar’s performance — seen by over 133 million people, including “millions of children” — amounted to a character assassination broadcast on the largest stage in American entertainment.
“It was the first, and will hopefully be the last, Super Bowl halftime show orchestrated to assassinate the character of another artist,” the suit reads.
Drake Targets UMG’s Role in Super Bowl Booking
Although Lamar censored the word “pedophile” — a key lyric in the original track — during the Super Bowl show, Drake’s legal team argues that its omission is a tacit acknowledgment of its defamatory nature.
The lawsuit alleges that UMG leveraged business relationships and financial clout to secure Lamar’s high-profile halftime appearance and promote the diss track.
“Drake’s amended complaint makes an already strong case stronger,” said his attorney, Michael Gottlieb, adding that the evidence of UMG’s “misconduct” will be exposed in court.
Kendrick’s Grammy Wins Also Under Fire
The lawsuit also now includes Kendrick Lamar’s performance at the 2025 Grammy Awards, where “Not Like Us” won five Grammys, including Record and Song of the Year. Drake contends that UMG again played a role in boosting the track’s visibility and accolades, reinforcing its defamatory impact.
Universal Music Fires Back
In a sharply worded response, Universal Music Group continued to push back against the claims, defending its long-standing relationship with Drake.
“Drake is being misled by his legal team into taking one absurd legal step after another,” UMG said. “It is shameful that these foolish and frivolous legal theatrics continue.”
From Diss Tracks to Legal Threats
Drake’s original lawsuit, filed in January, centers on Lamar’s hit “Not Like Us,” which includes lines suggesting Drake is a predator:
“Say, Drake, I hear you like ’em young / You better not ever go to cell block one.”
Drake’s attorneys say the track and its widespread promotion led to two break-in attempts at his Toronto mansion, a security guard being shot, extensive online harassment, and damage to his brand’s value just as he approached contract negotiations with UMG.
Hip Hop’s Biggest Feud Reaches the Courtroom
The battle between Drake, 38, and Kendrick Lamar, 37, has become one of the most visible rivalries in modern hip hop. Once collaborators, tensions began rising in 2013 and escalated throughout 2024, culminating in a series of back-and-forth diss tracks.
UMG has moved to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that Drake himself escalated the feud and now wants the courts to shield him from the fallout of a battle he helped provoke.
“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,” the label’s motion to dismiss says.
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