Drake Seeks Kendrick Lamar’s UMG Contract and Records Tied to Alleged Misconduct

Drake’s legal battle with Universal Music Group (UMG) has taken a fresh turn, with the rapper’s attorneys requesting detailed records relating to his long-time rival, Kendrick Lamar.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Canadian artist’s legal team has filed a motion seeking Kendrick Lamar’s contract with UMG, alongside any documentation connected to alleged incidents of domestic violence or other crimes purportedly committed by the Compton-born rapper.

The request forms part of the discovery process in Drake’s defamation lawsuit against the label.

Drake alleges that UMG facilitated and amplified defamatory claims, including suggestions in Kendrick Lamar’s hit single Not Like Us that the OVO Sound founder is a pedophile, damaging his reputation during ongoing contract negotiations.

He further claims the label offered reduced licensing rates for the track to boost its reach and undermine his market value.

After receiving a 22-page copy of Lamar’s contract from UMG in a previous court session, Drake’s lawyers complained that extensive redactions rendered the document “virtually unreadable and incomprehensible.” The rapper is seeking unredacted terms to determine whether UMG was deliberately undervaluing him in renewal talks.

UMG has resisted calls to include CEO Lucian Grainge in the discovery process, arguing that he had “no meaningful involvement” in the matters under dispute. The company has previously attempted to have the lawsuit dismissed, describing it as an outcome of “a rap battle that [Drake] provoked and in which he willingly participated.”

The court has yet to decide whether Drake’s discovery demands will be granted.