Drake’s legal complaint is getting a major upgrade ahead of Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime performance

With the start of the NFL postseason, we are approaching one of the most exciting events on the TV schedule for 2025. Super Bowl LIX will be an exciting night for many reasons, not least because it looks like the end of the rap feud between Kendrick Lamar and Drake. As Lamar prepares for his big show in New Orleans, his rival’s previous legal complaint regarding Not Like Us has taken a major turn.

In 2024, Drake filed a lawsuit alleging that Universal Music Group and Spotify used artificial intelligence to artificially boost the numbers of Kendrick Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us.” While some in the entertainment industry felt a the claim had no basisCanadian artist the lawyers stood their ground and felt that they had a serious business.

Drake dropped his complaint against UMG and Spotify, but took another major legal step

Variety reports that Drake and his company Frozen Moments have withdrawn a show cause order and the preservation of certain documents and communications from both companies. It is noted that the artist met with representatives of Spotify, who filed objections, and there were no objections to the withdrawal. UMG never objected, nor did it change its position. In short, the court case was dismissed in New York with no financial costs to either party.

Although it seemed that perhaps the artist was abandoning the lawsuit, TMZ reported that this was to clear the way for a new federal defamation lawsuit filed by Drake Wednesday morning against UMG. In the lawsuit, the rapper claims the label knew the claims about him in “Not Like Us” were false and backed the song and its release in an attempt to devalue his brand before contract negotiations.

Drake claims he has evidence that UMG worked with a third party to use bots to boost the success of “Not Like Us” and engaged in “pay-to-play” with at least one radio promoter. The lawsuit is not aimed directly at Kendrick Lamar.

Besides, HypeBeast reported a legal petition by an artist with similar allegations against UMG, and iHeartRadio is still operating in Texas. The case is currently scheduled for a hearing on January 28th at the time of writing, so there will be more legal drama for Drake if he doesn’t drop that complaint as well.

When is Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show?

As Drake continues to take legal action, Kendrick Lamar prepares for his halftime show at Super Bowl LIX. The rapper didn’t seem fazed by all the chatter surrounding his upcoming performance, even when Lil Wayne took offense to being snubbed for the opportunity to perform in his hometown.

Meanwhile, it’s still unclear what the Grammy winner has planned for his big halftime show. Usher invited him to play the hits and while this is likely to happen, K-Dot recently released a new album, GNXback in November. His hit ‘TV Off’ is likely to be on the tracklist and I think it’s safe to assume he’ll be performing ‘Not Like Us’ as well. “Humble” also looks like another guaranteed track in the lineup, but we’ll see what he has planned.

One can only imagine what Drake is thinking about the possibility of performing “Not Like Us” at the Super Bowl. Still, there’s no denying that both men deserve credit for one of the most exciting rap feuds in decades. Snoop Dogg and many others in the industry gave props to both artists, and regardless of what happened, this feud will forever be a part of rap history.

Super Bowl LIX airs Sunday, February 9 at 6:30pm ET on Fox. Tune in for what I hope is an exciting game and a fantastic halftime show.