Drake scored an important win in his ongoing legal battle with Universal Music Group (UMG). A judge in New York denied UMG’s request to delay discovery in the case, allowing Drake’s team to start gathering crucial information. This could involve questioning key UMG executives and requesting documents related to contracts, expenses, promotional budgets, and more, especially concerning Kendrick Lamar and UMG.
The lawsuit stems from a heated back-and-forth between Drake and Kendrick Lamar that began in 2024. The drama kicked off when Lamar appeared on Future and Metro Boomin’s song “Like That” and dismissed the idea of a “Big-3” in rap, a reference to a line from Drake’s song “First Person Shooter” where J. Cole, Drake, and Kendrick were dubbed rap’s “Big-3.” Lamar’s verse sparked a chain of events, leading to him releasing a diss track, “Not Like Us,” where he made controversial claims about Drake, including calling him a pedophile. Lamar later performed the track at the 2025 Super Bowl in New Orleans.
In November 2024, Drake filed lawsuits against both UMG and iHeartRadio. He accused both companies of using underhanded tactics to promote Lamar’s record at the expense of Drake’s reputation, devaluing his brand in favor of Lamar’s. While Drake settled with iHeartRadio, his case against UMG turned into a full-blown lawsuit, now including a defamation claim. Drake argues that Lamar’s lyrics in “Not Like Us” contain false, harmful statements about him.
The court ruling clears the way for Drake’s legal team to dig into UMG’s records and see if they unfairly pushed Lamar’s track while undermining Drake’s career.
Drake’s lawyer, Michael Gottlieb, responded to the decision, saying in a statement, “Now it’s time to see what UMG was so desperately trying to hide.”
On the charts, Drake’s “Nokia” is currently sitting at #6 on Billboard’s Hot 100, while Kendrick Lamar’s “Luther” featuring SZA is at #1. Lamar’s diss track, “Not Like Us,” holds the #8 spot.
