Drake discovery demands now include access to violence claims committed by Kendrick Lamar

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Drake wants UMG to hand over the label’s contract with Kendrick Lamar—but he also wants info about claims of domestic abuse committed by the rapper.

Drake continues seeking dirt on Kendrick Lamar in his defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG) over the Compton rapper’s mega-hit “Not Like Us.” We learned this week that Drake’s legal team is urging the court to force UMG to hand over emails and texts from CEO Lucian Grainge and the label’s contract with Kendrick Lamar. Now, it turns out Drake’s camp is seeking more than that.

In a discovery bid this week, Drake and his lawyers asked the court for permission to view information relating to allegations of domestic abuse and other crimes committed by Kendrick Lamar. Other information requested in the discovery process relating to Lamar includes Interscope’s monthly revenues and profits as well as the value of Kendrick’s catalog for the past five-plus years.

The rival rappers are represented by different labels, both under the UMG umbrella. Their ongoing rap battle turned litigious earlier this year when Drake claimed UMG defamed him by encouraging third parties to promote Lamar’s Drake diss track “Not Like Us.” He says the company made secret payments and offered reduced licensing rates in order to devalue Drake’s music and overall brand ahead of upcoming contract negotiations.

Info about Kendrick-related revenue is relevant to Drake’s theory that UMG was motivated by increasing profits from so-called defamatory statements contained in the lyrics to “Not Like Us.” Grainge encouraged competition between UMG’s labels, says Drake, and played a significant role in the company’s promotion of the track.

UMG asserts that Grainge has “no meaningful involvement in the matters and decisions at issue in this litigation.” But Drake’s team insists that if that’s true, they should have no problem handing over the requested information.

This isn’t the first time Drake has taken a jab at allegations that Kendrick Lamar has been physically abusive. In his diss track “Family Matters,” the Toronto rapper claims K.Dot abuses his wife with lines like, “When you put your hands on your girl / Is it self defense ‘cause she bigger than you?”