Feuds are common in rap, but few have lasted as long as the beef between Drake and Kendrick Lamar. Now in its 12th year, what started as a bit of friendly competition has turned into a nasty war of words that includes accusations of infidelity, domestic abuse, and secret children. And then the courts got involved.
Most agree Lamar has had the upper hand. His song "Not Like Us," released on May 4, 2024, became a massive hit while accusing Drake of pedophilia. Drake subsequently filed a lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG) on January 15, 2025, claiming defamation, inflating streaming rates, and harassment. UMG fired back on March 17th with a motion to dismiss.
It Began With the Big Three
Put-downs and taunting have long been a part of beefs between rappers, with most settled by trading insults back and forth through songs. This can benefit both artists. In rare instances, the battles have become violent and even deadly, but most end with a peace brokered between the artists or just moving on with life.
In 2013, Drake, Lamar, and fellow rapper J. Cole were dubbed the "Big Three" by the media. Drake and Lamar had previously collaborated. When Lamar called out Drake, J. Cole, and other rappers on another artist's track, a seemingly friendly "battle" broke out.
As time went on, the tone of the verbal sparring became darker and more intense. 2024 saw an extreme escalation of what was turning into an acrimonious feud. On March 22, Lamar proclaimed on another rapper's track that the Big Three was over and "It's just big me." A retort from J. Cole didn't fare well and he exited the simmering conflict between Lamar and Drake.
Drake fired back in April, releasing a track mocking Lamar's size and another six days later that featured AI-generated singing from Snoop Dogg and the deceased rapper Tupac Shakur. Lamar's response on the last day of April criticized the mixed-race Drake's use of Black accents and the N-word, intimated that he has a secret son, and hinted that he used Ozempic, a weight-loss drug.
The war between the singers only intensified from there. After Lamar dropped another diss track on May 3, Drake returned volley on the same day with a song claiming that his rival was guilty of domestic violence and infidelity. Lamar responded less than an hour later with a track citing his controversial history with younger women.
A day later, Lamar released "Not Like That," which accused Drake of being a pedophile and included the line, "tryna strike a chord and it’s probably A minor."
Incidents of violence occurred at Drake's home soon afterward, including a drive-by shooting attempt and an intruder burrowing under a security fence. This seemed to have a chilling effect on the feud as the release of dueling tracks ground to a halt.
"Not Like Us," on the other hand, soared to #1 on the Billboard Singles chart and became a megahit. In February 2025, the song swept the rap category at the Grammys and was performed by Lamar at the halftime show of Super Bowl LIX. In the court of popular opinion, Lamar appeared to have won the feud by a knockout. However, the legal fight was just beginning.
Courting a Different Type of Battle
In his filing, Drake accuses UMG, a company he's partnered with since 2009, of defamation, harassment, and inflating the stream counts for "Not Like Us" in violation of New York Business Law Section 349. The relief sought included damages, admission of falsifying the streams, and an apology for falsely stating Drake was a pedophile.
UMG's motion to dismiss seems intent to keep the feud going. Saying that Drake "lost a rap battle which he provoked and in which he willingly participated," UMG calls for him to "accept[ing] the loss like the unbothered rap artist he often claims to be." Stating that the suit fails to meet the required standards for defamation, harassment, or NYBL Section 349, they call for the suit to be dismissed with prejudice.
Drake's claims that UMG's alleged actions caused him injury may be difficult to substantiate. In 2024, Drake sold the equivalent of eight million album units in the U.S. alone despite not having released a new record. The adage "There's no such thing as bad publicity" may well apply here.
Related Resources
- What Is a Motion To Dismiss? (FindLaw's What To Expect When You're Going To Court)
- Libel, Slander, and Defamation Law: The Basics (FindLaw's Torts and Personal Injury Law)
- Obtaining Permission Before Sampling Music (FindLaw's Intellectual Property Law)
