Universal Music Group has issued a warning to Drake following the rapper’s decision to amend his defamation lawsuit with new claims targeting Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show performance.

“Be careful what you wish for,” the music giant warned Drake in a statement issued to MBW on Wednesday (April 16), stating that the artist’s continued legal battle exposes him to a legal discovery process.

“Two weeks ago, his representatives celebrated a ‘win’: the granting of a routine discovery motion. That ‘win’ will become a loss if this frivolous and reckless lawsuit is not dropped in its entirety because Drake will personally be subject to discovery as well,” Universal Music Group cautioned.

The statement comes as Drake on Wednesday filed an amended complaint in Manhattan federal court, further escalating his ongoing battle with the music giant.

The 107-page filing now references the NFL’s decision to censor the words “certified pedophile” from Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us performance during the Super Bowl LIX halftime show in February.

“It was the first, and will hopefully be the last, Super Bowl halftime show orchestrated to assassinate the character of another artist,” according to Drake’s latest complaint.

“Two weeks ago, his representatives celebrated a ‘win’… That ‘win’ will become a loss if this frivolous and reckless lawsuit is not dropped in its entirety because Drake will personally be subject to discovery as well.”

Universal Music Group

The Canadian rapper’s legal team argued that while the televised performance censored the word “pedophile,” no other modifications were made.

They further argued that Lamar would not have been permitted to perform during the Super Bowl “unless the word ‘pedophile’ was omitted from the lyrics—that is because nearly everyone understands that it is defamatory to falsely brand someone a ‘certified pedophile’.”

Lamar’s halftime performance, broadcast by Fox, was the most-watched of all time, with 133.5 million views, according to Billboard.

“The agreement to censor the word ‘pedophile’ failed to cure the Super Bowl Performance of conveying the Recording’s central defamatory meaning. Instead, the Super Bowl Performance further solidified the public’s belief in the truth of the allegations against Drake,” according to Drake’s amended complaint.

UMG described Drake’s defamation suit “one absurd legal step after another.”

“Drake, unquestionably one of the world’s most accomplished artists and with whom we’ve enjoyed a 16-year successful relationship, is being misled by his legal representatives into taking one absurd legal step after another,” UMG said.

The music giant pointed to a pattern of legal actions by Drake’s team, noting that proceedings initiated “with much fanfare and bluster” in Texas last November were “quietly dropped” on Monday (April 14).

“It was the first, and will hopefully be the last, Super Bowl halftime show orchestrated to assassinate the character of another artist.”

Drake’s Lawyers

UMG also highlighted that Drake has withdrawn certain allegations from his original January filing, potentially to avoid court sanctions for “asserting false allegations.”

“Fearful of being sanctioned by the court for asserting false allegations, tonight they amended the complaint to withdraw them only to add more baseless allegations,” UMG asserted.

The amended complaint no longer includes specific claims that quoted a “whistleblower” alleging Interscope paid him through third parties to use “bots” to achieve 30 million streams on Spotify shortly after the release of Lamar’s song.

The new filing now suggests that the label merely “turned a blind eye” to such activities instead of actively participating in them.

“At minimum, UMG was aware that third parties were using bots to stream the recording and turned a blind eye, despite having the power to stop such behavior,” the amended filing read.

UMG concluded: “Both the Texas and New York proceedings are an affront to all artists and creative expression.”

“Fearful of being sanctioned by the court for asserting false allegations, tonight they amended the complaint to withdraw them only to add more baseless allegations.”

Universal Music Group

“Should his legal representatives senselessly keep the New York lawsuit alive, we will demonstrate that all remaining claims are without merit,” UMG warned. “It is shameful that these foolish and frivolous legal theatrics continue. They are reputationally and financially costly to Drake and have no chance of success.”

UMG has 21 days, or until May 7, to file another motion to dismiss the amended complaint.

Notably, that day marks the first anniversary of the alleged violence that occurred at Drake’s Toronto house (as cited in the complaint), three days after Lamar’s Not Like Us dropped. That same day, Drake’s OVO clothing store was allegedly vandalized with graffiti that read: “They not like us.”

Drake’s amended filing comes two weeks after Judge Jeanette Vargas in New York ruled that the discovery process in the defamation case can begin. UMG in March asked the judge for a stay of discovery in the lawsuit, a day after the company filed a motion to dismiss the case. Drake had previously opposed UMG’s attempt to halt the evidence-gathering process.

Read UMG’s statement below:

“Drake, unquestionably one of the world’s most accomplished artists and with whom we’ve enjoyed a 16-year successful relationship, is being misled by his legal representatives into taking one absurd legal step after another.

In Texas last November, his counsel instituted a legal proceeding with much fanfare and bluster. On Monday, they quietly dropped the case.

In New York in January, Drake’s counsel filed a defamation lawsuit. Fearful of being sanctioned by the court for asserting false allegations, tonight they amended the complaint to withdraw them only to add more baseless allegations.

Two weeks ago, his representatives celebrated a ‘win’: the granting of a routine discovery motion. That ‘win’ will become a loss if this frivolous and reckless lawsuit is not dropped in its entirety because Drake will personally be subject to discovery as well. As the old saying goes, ‘be careful what you wish for.’

Both the Texas and New York proceedings are an affront to all artists and creative expression. Should his legal representatives senselessly keep the New York lawsuit alive, we will demonstrate that all remaining claims are without merit. It is shameful that these foolish and frivolous legal theatrics continue. They are reputationally and financially costly to Drake and have no chance of success.”Music Business Worldwide