Hip hop superstar Drake is now complaining about rival rapper Kendrick Lamar's performance of 鈥淣ot Like Us鈥 at this year's Super Bowl, adding it to his defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group over the diss track and its allegations of pedophilia against Drake.
鈥淭he Recording was performed during the 2025 Super Bowl and broadcast to the largest audience for a Super Bowl halftime show ever, over 133 million people, including millions of children, and millions more who had never before heard the song or any of the songs that preceded it," says the amended lawsuit filed Wednesday in federal court in Manhattan.
It adds, "It was the first, and will hopefully be the last, Super Bowl halftime show orchestrated to assassinate the character of another artist.鈥
Although Lamar removed the word 鈥減edophile鈥 that's in the track during , the fact that it was omitted showed that 鈥渘early everyone understands that it is defamatory,鈥 the suit says. It also alleges Universal Music used financial benefits and leveraged business relationships to secure the headliner spot for Lamar at the Super Bowl, and promoted the performance.
鈥淒rakesa国际传媒 amended complaint makes an already strong case stronger,鈥 his lawyer, Michael Gottlieb, said in a statement. "Drake will expose the evidence of UMGsa国际传媒 misconduct, and UMG will be held accountable for the consequences of its ill-conceived decisions.鈥
This year's Super Bowl and its halftime show were , according to Nielsen.
In a statement responding to the court filing, Universal Music, the parent record label of both artists, continued to deny Drake's allegations.
鈥淒rake, unquestionably one of the worldsa国际传媒 most accomplished artists and with whom we鈥檝e enjoyed a 16-year successful relationship, is being misled by his legal representatives into taking one absurd legal step after another," the company said. 鈥淚t is shameful that these foolish and frivolous legal theatrics continue.鈥
A spokesperson for Drake said in a prepared release that the artist is 鈥渉olding the largest music conglomerate in the world accountable for its actions and doing so without fear.鈥
The amended lawsuit also adds that defamatory portions of 鈥淣ot Like Us" were played at the in February, when the single won five awards, including song and record of the year. The suit claims that Universal Music also helped secure the Grammy nominations and allowed the song to be played at the ceremony.
Drake sued Universal Music, but not Lamar, for undisclosed damages in January, saying the company published and promoted 鈥淣ot Like Us鈥 despite its false pedophilia allegations and suggestions that listeners should resort to vigilante justice.
The result, the suit says, was intruders at Drakesa国际传媒 Toronto home and two attempted break-ins there, online hate and harassment, a hit to his reputation and a decrease in his brandsa国际传媒 value before his contract renegotiation with UMG this year. The amended lawsuit also adds more online comments indicating people believe the pedophilia allegations.
Drake, a 38-year-old Canadian rapper and singer and five-time Grammy winner, and Lamar, a 37-year-old with 22 Grammy wins, have been The feud is among the biggest in hip hop in recent years.
The two were occasional collaborators more than a decade ago, but Lamar began taking public jabs at Drake starting in 2013. The fight escalated steeply last year, as both launched diss tracks at each other, including Lamar's 鈥淣ot Like Us.鈥
鈥淪ay, Drake, I hear you like 鈥檈m young / You better not ever go to cell block one,鈥 Lamar raps.
In its motion to dismiss the lawsuit, Universal Music says Drake helped fuel the beef with his own inflammatory diss tracks aimed at Lamar.
鈥淧laintiff, one of the most successful recording artists of all time, lost a rap battle that he provoked and in which he willingly participated," the motion says. "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.鈥
