Drake has escalated his defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG), alleging the label’s promotion of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” led more people to falsely believe he is a pedophile. The Canadian rapper claims the Super Bowl halftime show and Grammy Awards performances introduced the track to millions, intensifying threats against him and his family.
Although Lamar omitted the word “pedophile” from his Super Bowl performance, Drake argues the implication remained clear and defamatory. He called it the first halftime show aimed at assassinating an artist’s character.
UMG dismissed the claims as baseless, defending the creative freedom of its artists and criticizing the lawsuit as costly and futile. The label, which has worked with Drake for 16 years, suggested he was being misled legally.
The amended complaint accuses UMG of financially backing the Super Bowl performance and promoting “Not Like Us” to maximize profit at Drake’s expense. He also cited increased incidents of violence at his Toronto home, allegedly fueled by the defamatory lyrics.
Drake’s legal team added new online comments as evidence of the public believing the allegations, claiming the Grammy performance further amplified the damage. He asserts that UMG helped facilitate the song’s exposure and accolades, including five Grammy wins.
The long-running feud between Drake and Lamar intensified last year with dueling diss tracks. UMG previously argued that Drake instigated the beef and should accept defeat rather than sue.
Source: Swifteradio.com
