Just when we thought the dust had settled on the Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake lyrical showdown of 2024, Drizzy is taking things way past the mic straight into a courtroom.
According to fresh legal documents filed in New York this week, Drake is expanding his lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG), the parent label to both rappers. His new claim? That Kendrick’s Grammy wins and high-profile Super Bowl performance didn’t just boost streams they allegedly boosted threats against him and his family.
Let’s rewind a bit. Drake first sued UMG back in January, accusing them of pushing a “false and malicious narrative” by promoting Kendrick’s chart-topping diss track “Not Like Us.” The song, which had the internet on fire, includes bars calling Drake a “certified pedophile” and suggesting he belongs on neighborhood watch. Yikes.
UMG, unsurprisingly, tried to shut it down with a motion to dismiss, saying the whole lawsuit is basically Drake throwing legal shade to save face after losing the rap beef.
But Drake’s not backing down.
In the updated court filing, his lawyers argue that the Super Bowl and Grammys’ two massive cultural stages gave new life to the song, and by extension, the damage it allegedly caused. They claim streams skyrocketed after the events, and so did the online threats directed at the Canadian rapper and his family.
Kendrick, who walked away with five Grammys in February and headlined the Super Bowl halftime show just a week later, did skip the word “pedophile” during the live performance which, by the way, was watched by over 133 million people.
Still, Drake’s team says the damage was already done.
So, what’s next? UMG says this is all Drake trying to spin a loss into a legal win — but with emotions, reputations, and millions of streams on the line, this battle is far from over.
