Drake amends UMG defamation suit to reference "Not Like Us" at the Super Bowl

Drake has amended his defamation suit against Universal Music Group to notation Kendrick Lamar’s show of “Not Like Us” astatine the Super Bowl.

Lamar’s February halftime amusement was a captious occurrence and, reportedly, the most-viewed halftime show successful the past of the event. Many fans wondered however helium would tackle “Not Like Us,” his Grammy-winning diss way that includes, among its scathing lyrics, a celebrated enactment accusing Drake of being a pedophile.

Lamar altered that lyric successful his performance, which Drake cited successful his amended suit. Lamar did execute different captious lyrics, including the enactment “I perceive you similar ’em young.”

“Kendrick Lamar would not person been permitted to execute during the Super Bowl Performance unless the connection ‘pedophile’ (in the operation ‘certified pedophiles’) was omitted from the lyrics,” Drake’s attorneys wrote successful their amended complaint. “That is due to the fact that astir everyone understands that it is defamatory to falsely marque idiosyncratic a ‘certified pedophile.’”

“The statement to censor the connection ‘pedophile’ failed to cure the Super Bowl Performance of conveying the Recording’s cardinal defamatory meaning,” Drake’s squad said successful their amended filing. “Instead, the Super Bowl Performance further solidified the public’s content successful the information of the allegations against Drake.”

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

Drake archetypal sued UMG, wherever some helium and Lamar are signed, 3 months agone (though, notably, helium did not writer Lamar directly), accusing the statement of promoting a azygous helium believes is defamatory.

UMG, successful a connection released Wednesday, said that “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,” UMG said. “We volition show that each remaining claims are without merit. It is shameful that these foolish and frivolous ineligible theatrics continue. They are reputationally and financially costly to Drake and person nary accidental of success.”

In effect to a find question that could springiness Drake entree to Lamar’s declaration with UMG, the institution said, “Two weeks ago, his representatives celebrated a ‘win’: the granting of a regular find motion. That ‘win’ volition go a nonaccomplishment if this frivolous and reckless suit is not dropped successful its entirety due to the fact that Drake volition personally beryllium taxable to find arsenic well.”

“Be cautious what you privation for,” they added.

Lamar’s show of “Not Like Us” astatine the Super Bowl apt won’t alteration overmuch successful Drake’s efforts to writer UMG, said Ken White, a renowned 1st Amendment litigator who spoke to The Times successful January.

“There’s a risk, but it appears to beryllium debased due to the fact that of the mode that Drake has decided to bash this,” White said. “He precise deliberately went aft UMG, and said this isn’t astir Kendrick. It was much like, ‘I don’t privation to prime a combat with Kendrick, I lone privation to prime a combat with UMG.’ All helium would beryllium capable to bash is say, ‘UMG promoted this opus astatine the Super Bowl, their hands got Kendrick Lamar the gig.’”