Drake Accuses Universal and Spotify of Sabotage as Kendrick Buries Him on the Super Bowl Stage
Drake is big mad—and honestly, can you blame him? The man just got torched in front of millions at the Super Bowl halftime show, and now he’s scrambling to take the fight to court.
According to Drizzy, Not Like Us only got as massive as it did because Universal Music Group (UMG) and Spotify worked against him. He’s even claiming UMG fired employees who were either tied to him or showed any kind of loyalty. And when he tried to reach out to settle things behind closed doors? The label wouldn’t even entertain the conversation.
So now, he’s suing.
But here’s the thing—this lawsuit might not actually be about Not Like Us being “defamatory.” A lot of people believe Drake’s real goal was to block Kendrick from performing the track at the Super Bowl. Clearly, that didn’t work.
Because Kendrick didn’t just perform—he turned the halftime show into a full-blown Drake funeral.
We’re talking the crowd chanting, bars hitting like daggers, and to top it all off—Serena Williams, Drake’s ex, strutting across the stage as the ultimate cherry on top.
“They not like us! They not like us! They not like us!”
Drake already tried to fight back with diss tracks, but that strategy flopped. Now, he’s lawyering up and reportedly thinking about adding Kendrick himself to his defamation lawsuit.
But let’s be real—does Drake actually have a case here, or is he about to take another L, this time in court?
Meanwhile, Kendrick wasn’t just out for revenge. His set blended Not Like Us with his latest album GNX, threw in some classics, and even made a bold political statement—complete with Samuel L. Jackson playing Uncle Sam.
The Super Bowl wasn’t just a performance. It was a moment.
And as for Drake? Well… he’s got some serious damage control to do.
Kendrick vs. Drake: The Super Bowl Moment That Broke the Internet
Samuel L. Jackson set the tone right from the jump:
“It’s your Uncle Sam, and this is the Great American Game!”
Sounds like a regular intro, right? Not even close.
Let’s unpack that.
Jackson wasn’t just playing commentator—he was making a statement. “Uncle Sam” is the U.S. government, and “The Great American Game” isn’t football. It’s systemic oppression.
Then came the coded language:
“Too loud. Too reckless. Too ghetto.”
Translation: This is how Black culture is often stereotyped.
“Mr. Lamar, do you really know how to play the game?”
Meaning: Follow the rules. Stay in line.
Lamar performs Be Humble—a song literally about sitting down and shutting up.
“You brought your homeboys—your old culture cheat code.”
Meaning: There’s power in unity.
“Scorekeeper, deduct one life.”
Meaning: In this “game,” mistakes aren’t just losses—they’re life or death.
“That’s what America wants—nice and calm.”
Translation: Stay quiet. Blend in.
And then—Kendrick flips the script.
The Moment We Were All Waiting For
After weeks of rumors that the NFL might ban Not Like Us, Kendrick didn’t just perform it—he made it a spectacle.
First, he baits the crowd:
“I wanna perform your favorite song… but, you know, they love to sue.”
Then, with millions watching, he makes sure Drake hears every word:
“Some say I hear you like ’em young—you better not ever go to—”
And the entire stadium screams it back.
Drake tried everything to stop this song—from sneak disses to legal threats. But in the end, Kendrick made sure he—and the whole world—had to sit there and listen.
Drake’s Next Move: Blame the Label
Drake is currently in Australia, acting unbothered. But let’s be real—he’s feeling this one.
Since he can’t drop another diss track, he’s switching tactics: going after his own label, UMG.
Just hours before Kendrick’s Super Bowl performance, Drake’s legal team put UMG on blast:
“UMG is pretending to stand for artistic freedom… but there’s nothing entertaining about [PDF files] or [CA] in real life. Evidence at trial will expose UMG’s priority: profits over truth.”
UMG hasn’t responded—yet. But when Drake sued them last month, they straight-up mocked him in their response:
“Drake has used UMG to push his music and battle other rappers for years. Now, he’s trying to weaponize the legal system to silence an artist.”
The Fallout
Kendrick just turned the Super Bowl into a cultural moment. Drake is scrambling to flip the narrative. And UMG? They might have to answer for more than just diss tracks.
At this point, this isn’t just rap beef. It’s power, control, and who really runs the game.
UMG didn’t just respond to Drake—they reminded him exactly who put him on top. They basically told him, without us, you wouldn’t be the superstar you are today. In other words, don’t bite the hand that feeds you.
Let’s not forget, UMG gave Drake the biggest record deal in history, let him run his own label under their umbrella, and pushed his music harder than almost anyone else. But now that he’s taking shots at them, they’re making it clear—they can just as easily take it all away.
In their statement, UMG said:
“Not only are these claims untrue, but the notion that we would seek to harm the reputation of any artist—let alone Drake—is illogical. We have invested massively in his music, and our employees around the world have worked tirelessly for many years to help him achieve historic commercial and personal financial success.”
Translation? We made you, and we sure as hell didn’t sabotage you.
At this point, you’d think Drake would take the L, regroup, and move on. But nope—despite the backlash, he’s doubling down.
Sources say he’s now considering adding Kendrick and even the NFL to his defamation lawsuit over Not Like Us being played at the Super Bowl. Apparently, Drake’s team is looking into whether the NFL can be held accountable for giving Kendrick the platform to perform a song that, according to Drake, is built on false allegations.
And it doesn’t stop there—Drake also wants to personally sue Kendrick for accusing him and his team of being “PDF files.”
Now, on one hand, you can see why Drake is heated. Thanks to Kendrick, even people outside of hip-hop are now associating his name with those disturbing accusations.
But let’s be real—Drake has no one to blame but himself. He had plenty of ways to respond that didn’t involve running to the courts.
For example, he could’ve flipped the script and called out Kendrick’s own contradictions—accusing him of being a hypocrite for working with Dr. Dre while pushing those same allegations. Or for collaborating with Kodak Black, who was charged with rape in 2019.
Then again, maybe Drake knew that argument wouldn’t hold up—because he himself isn’t exactly surrounded by saints. One of his closest associates, Baka Not Nice, was arrested and charged with forcing a young woman into sex work.
So yeah, Drake doesn’t have much of a moral high ground here.
At the end of the day, the better rapper won. And Drake’s biggest mistake? Thinking UMG would rig the game in his favor.
Guess he didn’t learn his lesson from Pusha T.
But what do you think? If Drake actually takes this lawsuit further, is he just setting himself up for an even bigger L? And what should he do next to bounce back?