At this level, I ponder if there’s anyone who isn’t conscious of the long-since-decided feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar. What began in March 2024, when Future and Metro Boomin launched an album that includes the eventual Billboard chart-topping single, “Like That,” morphed right into a back-and-forth that took over the summer season of 2024, culminating with Kendrick Lamar’s now legacy file, “Not Like Us,” that as of this writing in March 2025 and after 44 weeks, remains to be a high 5 Billboard Scorching 100 single within the nation.
You recognize this. I do know this. Your auntie and grandmother know this as a result of all of us noticed Kendrick Lamar carry out on the Tremendous Bowl in February. It’s been a banner 12 months for Kendrick. For Drake, not a lot. He misplaced the battle, however he did go on tour in Australia and drop an album with OVO artist PartyNextDoor that hit the charts. Their present single, “Nokia,” is doing nicely on the charts.
However then there’s the large “he did what?!?!” of November 2024, the place Drake filed a number of authorized actions towards Kendrick’s label, Common Music Group (UMG) and iHeart Media, alleging that they each used backdoor strategies to inflate the recognition of “Not Like Us”—to Drake’s camp, certain the file is a bop, however there’s no manner it was THAT standard. Drake can be claiming defamation and a litany of different issues, a shocking transfer in a rap battle; diss information usually make use of essentially the most vicious and incendiary statements and lyrics in an try to topple a foe. Drake is aware of this; he’s been in loads of rap battles.
Earlier this month, Drake and iHeartMedia settled their authorized dispute, with iHeartMedia stating, for the file, that the matter was put to mattress as a result of they did nothing fallacious. UMG doubtless feels the identical manner, but it surely has taken to a extra pointed and hip-hop-centric method in its movement to dismiss.
Based on Selection, of their movement to dismiss, UMG took a extra direct, biting method to talking their reality, saying Drake “misplaced a rap battle that he provoked and during which he willingly participated.” The label continued, “As a substitute of accepting the loss just like the unbothered rap artist he usually claims to be, he has sued his personal file label in a misguided try to salve his wounds. Plaintiff’s Criticism is totally with out advantage and must be dismissed with prejudice.”
Ouch.
For individuals who may want a translation—it’s OK—their assertion basically says, “Drake began this, Kendrick completed it, and as a substitute of being the man who’s too massive for all of this as his music implies, he’s determined to sue as a result of his emotions are damage.”
That that is all taking part in out very publicly does completely nothing for Drake’s high man in hip-hop narrative; in lots of circles, the worst factor that you are able to do as a rapper is file a lawsuit since you misplaced a battle.
UMG can be alleging that Drake is a hypocrite. In 2022, many artists signed a letter titled “Artwork on Trial: Shield Black Artwork,” criticizing the usage of rappers’ lyrics towards them in courtroom. Drake was one of many signees. Drake is suing UMG for defamation, as nicely; UMG argues that Kendrick’s lyrics are, basically, an artist doing artist issues, and don’t meet the authorized bar for defamation.
In response to the request for dismissal, Drake’s legal professional, Michael J. Gottlieb shared with Selection:
“UMG needs to faux that that is a few rap battle as a way to distract its shareholders, artists and the general public from a easy reality: a grasping firm is lastly being held answerable for benefiting from harmful misinformation that has already resulted in a number of acts of violence. This movement is a determined ploy by UMG to keep away from accountability, however we’ve got each confidence that this case will proceed and proceed to uncover UMG’s lengthy historical past of endangering, abusing and making the most of its artists.”
Whether or not it’s God’s plan or not, it appears to be like like Drake isn’t backing down, and he and his camp are able to…squabble up.
