Drake vs. UMG: Trial Over Kendrick Lamar Diss Track Set – No Settlement in Sight

The legal battle between global rap icon Drake and Universal Music Group (UMG) is heating up, with court documents revealing that “settlement discussions have not taken place.” The lawsuit centres on Kendrick Lamar’s explosive Grammy-winning diss track “Not Like Us,” which Drake alleges contains defamatory statements. The high-profile case is set for a jury trial in New York, projected to last approximately three weeks.

The Origins of the Feud

The tension between Drake and Kendrick Lamar reached a boiling point in May 2024 when Lamar dropped “Not Like Us.” The track includes scathing lyrics branding Drake a “certified pedophile” and suggesting he belongs on “neighborhood watch.” The Compton rapper further fanned the flames with a memorable performance of the track at the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show, where he smiled knowingly at the camera as he delivered the line, “Say, Drake, I hear you like ‘em young.”

Although the more explicit lyric was censored from the televised version, the Super Bowl broadcast reached an estimated 127.7 million viewers—making it the most-watched in television history and massively amplifying the song’s impact.

Drake Claims Real Harm

Drake’s legal team argues that Kendrick Lamar’s lyrics were not taken as mere artistic expression but were interpreted as factual assertions by millions of listeners. In legal filings, the rapper’s attorneys state that “millions of people, all over the world, did understand [the song] as a factual assertion that [Drake] is a pedophile.”

Further, they claim UMG continued to promote the track even after Drake’s home was targeted by a gunman and his businesses were vandalized. Despite being made aware of the “falsity of the allegations” and their dangerous consequences, UMG allegedly persisted in supporting the song’s distribution and marketing.

Drake Wins Legal Battle to Access Kendrick Lamar’s Universal Contracts in ‘Not Like Us’ Lawsuit

UMG Fires Back

UMG, which distributes Kendrick Lamar’s music, has dismissed the lawsuit as an overreaction from an artist on the losing end of a rap feud, ignoring Kendrick’s assertion in the lyrics calling Drake is a Pedophile. In a prior statement, the label said Drake simply “lost a rap battle that he provoked” and is now “suing his own record label in a misguided attempt to salve his wounds.”

This tension has created a rare scenario where one of the world’s biggest artists is in a legal standoff with the very company that distributes his music.

Rap Battle Goes Visual

Drake, never one to stay quiet, recently released a new music video for his single “Nokia,” which fans believe is a veiled response to Lamar’s “Not Like Us.” The black-and-white visuals, aerial shots, and choreography have all been compared to elements in Kendrick Lamar’s video.

“Drake gotta be trolling Kendrick for sure,” one fan posted online, highlighting similarities that hint at a deeper back-and-forth through music and imagery.

A Case That Could Reshape Music Industry Dynamics

As this lawsuit unfolds, the outcome could set a precedent for how record labels handle controversial content from feuding artists—especially when claims veer into potentially defamatory territory. With a trial looming and no sign of compromise, the Drake vs. UMG saga is poised to become one of the most consequential music industry legal battles in recent years.