Lawyers for both Drake and Universal Music Group were recently in court for a hearing to discuss the company's request for a dismissal in the case. The Toronto rapper originally filed an amended version of his lawsuit against UMG in April, accusing them of defamation while making reference to Kendrick Lamar's hit diss track, "Not Like Us." With the update, he brought up Lamar's Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show and noted that he removed the "Certified Lover Boy? Certified pedophiles" lyric.
The line came into question in the courtroom, as caught by Inner City Press. When the lawyers explained to the judge that "certified pedophile" is a play on the title of Drake's sixth studio album, the judge questioned whether an ordinary fan would reasonably know that. "The context is all the rumors about Drake and young females," the lawyer said.
Why Is Drake Suing UMG?
Drake initially filed his complaint against the company by suggesting that the false allegations contained in the lyrics of the song have damaged his reputation. In turn, by promoting the song to such a wide audience, Drake says that UMG is responsible for defamation.
In response to him bringing up the Super Bowl, UMG's lawyer wrote in their motion, as caught by Variety: “As Drake concedes, Lamar’s Super Bowl performance did not include the lyric that Drake or his associates are ‘certified pedophiles’ (i.e., the alleged ‘Defamatory Material’ that is at the heart of this case). The focus of Drake’s new claims—that ‘the largest audience for a Super Bowl halftime show ever’ did not hear Lamar call Drake or his crew pedophiles—betrays this case for what it is: Drake’s attack on the commercial and creative success of the rap artist who defeated him, rather than the content of Lamar’s lyrics.”
In a statement provided to Variety at the time of filing the motion for dismissal, UMG's legal team wrote: “Nowhere in the hundred-plus page ‘legal’ blather written by Drake’s lawyers do they bother to acknowledge that Drake himself has written and performed massively successful songs containing equally provocative taunts against other artists. Nor do they mention that it was Drake who started this particular exchange. Apparently, Drake’s lawyers believe that when Drake willingly participates in a performative rap-battle of music and poetry, he can be ‘defamed’ even though he engages in the exact same form of creative expression.”
