Drake complains about Kendrick Lamar's 'Not Like Us' Super Bowl performance in new defamation claims

Hip hop superstar Drake is present complaining astir rival rapper Kendrick Lamar's show of “Not Like Us” astatine this year's Super Bowl, adding it to his defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group implicit the diss way and its allegations of pedophilia against Drake.

“The Recording was performed during the 2025 Super Bowl and broadcast to the largest assemblage for a Super Bowl halftime amusement ever, implicit 133 cardinal people, including millions of children, and millions much who had ne'er earlier heard the opus oregon immoderate of the songs that preceded it," says the amended suit filed Wednesday successful national tribunal successful Manhattan.

It adds, "It was the first, and volition hopefully beryllium the last, Super Bowl halftime amusement orchestrated to assassinate the quality of different artist.”

Although Lamar removed the connection “pedophile” that's successful the way during the halftime show, the information that it was omitted showed that “nearly everyone understands that it is defamatory,” the suit says. It besides alleges Universal Music utilized fiscal benefits and leveraged concern relationships to unafraid the headliner spot for Lamar astatine the Super Bowl, and promoted the performance.

“Drake’s amended ailment makes an already beardown lawsuit stronger,” his lawyer, Michael Gottlieb, said successful a statement. "Drake volition exposure the grounds of UMG’s misconduct, and UMG volition beryllium held accountable for the consequences of its ill-conceived decisions.”

This year's Super Bowl and its halftime amusement were the most-watched ever, according to Nielsen.

In a connection responding to the tribunal filing, Universal Music, the genitor grounds statement of some artists, continued to contradict Drake's allegations.

“Drake, unquestionably 1 of the world’s astir accomplished artists and with whom we’ve enjoyed a 16-year palmy relationship, is being misled by his ineligible representatives into taking 1 absurd ineligible measurement aft another," the institution said. “It is shameful that these foolish and frivolous ineligible theatrics continue.”

The amended suit besides adds that defamatory portions of “Not Like Us" were played astatine the Grammy Awards successful February, erstwhile the azygous won 5 awards, including opus and grounds of the year. The suit claims that Universal Music besides helped unafraid the Grammy nominations and allowed the opus to beryllium played astatine the ceremony.

Drake sued Universal Music, but not Lamar, for undisclosed damages successful January, saying the institution published and promoted “Not Like Us” contempt its mendacious pedophilia allegations and suggestions that listeners should edifice to vigilante justice.

The result, the suit says, was intruders shooting a information guard astatine Drake’s Toronto location and 2 attempted break-ins there, online hatred and harassment, a deed to his estimation and a alteration successful his brand’s worth earlier his declaration renegotiation with UMG this year. The amended suit besides adds much online comments indicating radical judge the pedophilia allegations.

Drake, a 38-year-old Canadian rapper and vocalist and five-time Grammy winner, and Lamar, a 37-year-old Pulitzer Prize winner with 22 Grammy wins, person been beefing for years. The feud is among the biggest successful hep hop successful caller years.

The 2 were occasional collaborators much than a decennary ago, but Lamar began taking nationalist jabs astatine Drake starting successful 2013. The combat escalated steeply past year, arsenic some launched diss tracks astatine each other, including Lamar's “Not Like Us.”

“Say, Drake, I perceive you similar ’em young / You amended not ever spell to compartment artifact one,” Lamar raps.

In its question to disregard the lawsuit, Universal Music says Drake helped substance the beef with his ain inflammatory diss tracks aimed astatine Lamar.

“Plaintiff, 1 of the astir palmy signaling artists of each time, mislaid a rap conflict that helium provoked and successful which helium willingly participated," the question says. "Instead of accepting the nonaccomplishment similar the unbothered rap creator helium often claims to be, helium has sued his ain grounds statement successful a misguided effort to salve his wounds.”

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