In the latest development of an ongoing legal battle between two rap titans, a federal judge has ordered Universal Music Group (UMG) to grant Drake access to Kendrick Lamar's recording contracts and executive compensation records.
Judge Jeannette A. Vargas ruled on Wednesday that the evidence-gathering process should proceed, despite UMG's attempts to pause discovery while their motion to dismiss the case is pending. The ruling allows Drake's legal team to examine what his attorney Michael Gottlieb called "what UMG was so desperately trying to hide."
The case stems from Drake's defamation lawsuit against UMG over Lamar's track "Not Like Us," which Drake claims falsely portrayed him as a pedophile. Drake's legal team is seeking documents including all contracts between UMG and Lamar, plus salary and incentive details for senior label executives dating back to 2020.
UMG opposed the request, arguing that gathering such commercially sensitive information would be costly and burdensome, especially since the case could still be dismissed. A hearing on the dismissal motion is set for June 30.
The lawsuit emerged from an escalating feud between the rappers, which played out in multiple tracks last year. After Drake accused Lamar of domestic abuse in one song, Lamar responded with "Not Like Us," referring to Drake and his associates as "certified pedophiles."
Drake alleges UMG knowingly promoted false claims about him for profit and conspired with Spotify to inflate streaming numbers for Lamar's song - accusations both companies deny.
UMG, Drake's label for over ten years, maintains the lawsuit is "illogical" and characterized it as an attempt to "silence an artist's creative expression" after losing a rap battle. Meanwhile, "Not Like Us" has become Lamar's biggest hit, reaching number one in the UK following his Super Bowl performance.