To recap the last episode of Drake Can’t Peacefully Take a L, the rapper scored a legal victory and was granted access to sensitive UMG documents, like Kendrick Lamar’s recording contracts, as part of the discovery process.
Now, on April 16, Drake’s team has officially filed an amended complaint with even more defamatory allegations. Spoiler: UMG isn’t backing down. In fact, they’re telling Drake to “be careful what you wish for,” as discovery goes both ways.
Drake is still pressed about the Super Bowl
In the new filing, Drake’s lawyers dedicated almost 12 pages to crying defamation over Kendrick’s song “Not Like Us” being performed at the Super Bowl. Drake’s team says the performance hit 133 million viewers and was “orchestrated to assassinate” his character.
Ironically, they argue that censoring the word “pedophile” didn’t fix the damage, but rather “solidified the public’s belief in the truth of the allegations.” In other words, it just made people fill in the blank themselves (and then scream “A-minor” into the abyss).
They also claim that the performance sparked renewed hatred for Drake and public belief in the defamatory accusations against him. They cited a wild list of internet accusations, including comparisons to Weinstein, Epstein, and Diddy. One line claims users called for the FBI to investigate Drake, with calls to “lock him up.”
Even wilder? Posters allegedly went up in Toronto of Drake next to disgraced Canadian YouTuber Jack Densmore (who’s now in prison for sexual assault) with the caption: “Canadian sex predators gotta stick together.”
UMG’s alleged motive to devalue Drake
According to the complaint, this is all part of a long game. Drake’s team claims UMG has been plotting since early 2024 to tank his reputation and reduce his leverage ahead of contract negotiations in 2025.
They allegedly understood that the rise of streaming platforms had “enhanced the bargaining power of artists” like Drake and were incentivized to act, launching a defamatory campaign also known as the rap civil war of 2024.
UMG allegedly prioritized re-signing Kendrick, boosting his brand while subtly devaluing Drake’s—because renewing Drake’s deal would be “costly.”
“UMG’s actions were motivated, at least in part, by UMG’s desire to best position itself in negotiations with Kendrick Lamar in 2024 and Drake in 2025.” The complaint then claims, “with respect to Lamar,” that UMG wanted to prove they could maximize Kendrick’s sales, by any means necessary (hinting at the bot allegations), to secure a longer-term exclusive contract with him.
UMG says careful what you wish for
In a succession reminiscent of Drake’s “Family Matters” drop and Kendrick’s “Meet The Grahams” response, UMG released a statement the same day Drake’s team filed their amended complaint. Essentially, they said, “Don’t tell no lie about me and I won’t tell truths ‘bout you.”
“Two weeks ago, his representatives celebrated a ‘win’: the granting of a routine discovery motion. 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. As the old saying goes, ‘be careful what you wish for,’” reads the statement.
At this point, this lawsuit is giving Love & Hip-Hop: Court Edition. Meanwhile, Kendrick is probably outside somewhere doing push-ups. Grab your popcorn and refresh your timeline because this saga? Far from over.
