Drake ignited a bitter back and forth with Universal Music Group after updating his defamation lawsuit against it to claim that Kendrick Lamar’s high-profile appearances at the Grammys and the Super Bowl serve as clear evidence that the label intentionally sought to “assassinate” his character for financial gain.
In an amended complaint filed Wednesday and obtained by HuffPost, the Canadian rapper argued that UMG’s actions since the original January lawsuit have only fueled false and harmful accusations portraying him as a sexual predator.
The lawsuit asserts that by facilitating Lamar’s performances at these “mega-cultural events,” UMG “duped” the public into believing that Drake was a pedophile, hoping to generate more attention and listeners for Lamar’s music.
Cole Burston via Getty Images
The filing alleges that UMG turned the February Super Bowl halftime show, one of the world’s most-watched events, into a spectacle designed to damage Drake’s reputation.
It describes the performance as “the first, and will hopefully be the last, Super Bowl halftime show orchestrated to assassinate the character of another artist.”
A key aspect of the lawsuit focuses on the omission of the word “pedophile” from Lamar’s performance of the diss track “Not Like Us” during the event.
The complaint argues that the absence of any other modifications to the song shows that the NFL and its broadcasting partners recognized the accusation was “unacceptable,” yet UMG continued to distribute the uncensored version for its own benefit.
In a statement to HuffPost, UMG swiftly dismissed Drake’s defamation lawsuit, and the fresh allegations, as a misguided, meritless “affront to all artists and creative expression.”
“Drake, unquestionably one of the world’s most accomplished artists with whom we’ve enjoyed a 16-year successful relationship, is being misled by his legal representatives into pursuing one absurd legal step after another,” the statement read, calling the ongoing litigation “foolish and frivolous legal theatrics.”
Cooper Neill via Getty Images
The music giant further asserted that the “reckless lawsuit” had backfired and was itself responsible for significant damage to Drake’s reputation and finances.
Regarding a discovery motion granted earlier this month, UMG’s statement warned: “As the old saying goes, ‘be careful what you wish for.’”
Drake’s legal team hit back hours later, telling HuffPost that UMG’s response was “a desperate attempt to spin the narrative and deflect from the truth.”
Flipping UMG’s ominous warning about discovery back on them, Drake’s team said they have “nothing to hide.”
“It’s not Drake who should worry; it’s UMG’s current leadership,” the statement added, calling out the company’s billionaire CEO and chairman Lucian Grainge and Interscope Records executive John Janick.
“UMG drains artists for its profits, then discards them,” they said of the company, which has represented Drake since 2009 but signed Lamar in 2020.
“UMG said, ‘be careful what you ask for,’” the statement concluded. “Drake knows exactly what he asked for: the truth and accountability.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated with further comment from Drake’s team.
