Drake is expanding his legal battle with Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us”.
According to Drake, Lamar’s Grammys win and Super Bowl performance has further damaged his reputation.
Both rappers are signed to UMG, under different divisions and engaged in a prolific diss track battle in 2024, with Lamar coming out on top in the charts.
Drake first sued UMG in January and alleged that they defamed him by spreading a “false and malicious narrative” when it promoted Lamar’s diss track.
The lyrics of the song describe Drake as a “certified pedophile” and a “predator” who needs to be “placed on neighborhood watch.”
UMG filed a motion last month to dismiss the lawsuit, insisting that the claims are “no more than Drake’s attempt to save face for his unsuccessful rap battle” with Lamar.
In the amended complaint, filed on Wednesday in a federal court in New York City, Drake’s lawyers stated that the Super Bowl and the Grammys were “prestigious and high-exposure events” that “introduced new listeners” to the allegedly defamatory song.
It added that “not only did streams of the Recording increase significantly following these two mega-cultural events, but threats against Drake and his family did as well.”
Lamar won five Grammy awards in February and one week later headlined the halftime show.
However, he decided to omit the word “pedophile” during his performance, which which was watched by 133.5 million viewers, according to The Associated Press.