Drake is doubling down on the defamation lawsuit in opposition to the Common Music Group label with a brand new modification. The latest replace sees The Boy embrace particulars that contain Kendrick Lamar‘s Tremendous Bowl LIX efficiency which was the most-watched halftime present in historical past.
Earlier this week, Drake’s workforce filed the modification which states that Okay Dot’s efficiency of his hit track “Not Like Us” propelled the false and defamatory allegations in opposition to him. The track had initially ignited the authorized actions taken by Drake in opposition to UMG. Again in January, he sued UMG for the diss observe, alleging that the file firm, “authorized, revealed, and launched a marketing campaign to create a viral hit out of a rap observe that falsely accuses Drake of being a pedophile and requires violent retribution in opposition to him.” He additionally cited a capturing at his Toronto residence in Might 2024 the place certainly one of his safety guards have been wounded. The amended lawsuit additionally attracts consideration to the rising threats Drake and his household are enduring after the track was carried out on the Tremendous Bowl.
The lawsuit reads, “The Recording was carried out through the 2025 Tremendous Bowl and broadcast to the biggest viewers for a Tremendous Bowl halftime present ever, over 133 million folks, together with tens of millions of kids, and tens of millions extra who had by no means earlier than heard the track or any of the songs that preceded it. It was the primary, and can hopefully be the final, Tremendous Bowl halftime present orchestrated to assassinate the character of one other artist.” The lawsuit does make word that the track carried out omitted phrases like “pedophile,” nevertheless, Drake claims that the censoring isn’t sufficient. After “Not Like Us” made it again to No. 1 on the Billboard 100 the next week after the Tremendous Bowl, Drake has amended the swimsuit to additionally embrace Kendrick’s 2025 Grammy efficiency, citing each situations as re-intensifying the defamatory claims. Drake’s lead lawyer, Michael Gottlieb, mentioned in a press release, “Drake’s amended grievance makes an already sturdy case stronger. UMG’s PR ‘spin’ and failed efforts to keep away from discovery can not suppress the information and the reality. With discovery now shifting ahead, Drake will expose the proof of UMG’s misconduct, and UMG will likely be held accountable for the results of its ill-conceived selections.”
UMG has given their very own response to the amendments, “Drake, unquestionably one of many world’s most achieved artists and with whom we’ve loved a 16-year profitable relationship, is being misled by his authorized representatives into taking one absurd authorized step after one other.” The Boy’s workforce releases their very own assertion sharing,
“UMG’s newest assertion is a determined try to spin the narrative and deflect from the reality: Drake is holding the biggest music conglomerate on the earth accountable for its actions and doing so with out worry.
We dismissed the Texas discovery motion as a result of discovery will now proceed in New York. That’s not retreat, that’s victory. UMG dismissed its first modification petition in Texas as a result of it has no declare, that’s shedding. And UMG is aware of the case in opposition to it is just getting stronger.
Drake welcomes discovery and has nothing to cover. It’s not Drake who ought to fear; it’s UMG’s present management. We look ahead to listening to from Lucian Grainge, John Janick, and UMG staff below oath.
UMG claims to face for creativity, however in reality exploits it and the artist neighborhood is aware of that. UMG drains artists for its income, then discards them. Drake joins a rising refrain of artists elevating questions on UMG’s management. The general public and artists needs to be involved about latest headlines involving UMG’s largest stakeholder that solely reinforces the necessity for transparency all the way in which as much as the Board of Director’s degree.
UMG mentioned, ‘watch out what you ask for,’ Drake is aware of precisely what he requested for: the reality and accountability.”
