The Hotline Bling rapper sued UMG bosses for defamation in January for promoting Not Like Us, in which he is accused of being a paedophile.
In an amended complaint in April, Drake focused on events that had taken place since the initial filing, and claimed that UMG further damaged his reputation by allowing Lamar to perform Not Like Us at the Super Bowl and consenting to the song being played at the 2025 Grammys.
In their motion to dismiss on Wednesday, UMG lawyers called Drake's new allegations "astonishing" and pointed out that Lamar did not use the phrase "certified paedophile" during his Super Bowl performance.
"The focus of Drake's new claims - that 'the largest audience for a Super Bowl halftime show ever' did not hear Lamar call Drake or his crew pedophiles - betrays this case for what it is: Drake's attack on the commercial and creative success of the rap artist who defeated him, rather than the content of Lamar's lyrics," their motion reads, reports Variety.
In a statement to the publication, a UMG spokesperson argued that it was Drake who started the exchange of diss tracks with Lamar last year.
"Nowhere in the hundred-plus page 'legal' blather written by Drake's lawyers do they bother to acknowledge that Drake himself has written and performed massively successful songs containing equally provocative taunts against other artists," they stated. "Apparently, Drake's lawyers believe that when Drake willingly participates in a performative rap-battle of music and poetry, he can be 'defamed' even though he engages in the exact same form of creative expression."
Both musicians are signed to record labels owned by UMG.
NEWS
A$AP Rocky has revealed that it took years of persistence before Tim Burton agreed to create the cover artwork for his upcoming album, Don’t Be Dumb. The rapper reflected on how the unlikely collaboration finally came together during a recent appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Monday.
Going into detail about the process, Rocky confessed that he “basically had to stalk and harass him for a few years” before things clicked. He explained, “I reached out and told him I would love to hang out, play him some vibes and just connect. I ended up going to Malibu while he was on a break, and he was feeling it. I played him an early version of the album and he really liked it. That’s when I asked, ‘Do you think you might want to do the illustration for this?’ He was open to it, but then suddenly he had Wednesday and Beetlejuice 2 going on. I realized this was going to take a lot longer than I thought.”
A$AP Rocky went on to describe a moment that really stuck with him during that visit. “While I was there, I noticed a sketch sitting on the table and asked if he drew it,” he said. “He told me that every morning he and his daughter work on drawings together. He starts one, then she comes in and finishes it or changes it. It’s something they practice daily. I saw it as their bond, and to me, that felt priceless.”
On Tuesday, A$AP Rocky also released a double music video for his tracks “WHISKEY” and “BLACK DEMARCO.” Tim Burton appears in the visual and contributed multiple illustrations that tie into the project.
Alongside the release of the “WHISKEY” and “BLACK DEMARCO” video, Rocky officially unveiled the Don’t Be Dumb World Tour. The run will include 42 dates across North America, Europe, and the United Kingdom, with shows scheduled throughout 2026.
