Inside Drake - UMG trial: Canadian rapper seeks documents on alleged domestic violence charges against Kendrick Lamar

Drake and Kendrick Lamar (Images via Getty)
Drake and Kendrick Lamar (Images via Getty)

Drake’s legal team has requested UMG (Universal Music Group) Recording label to provide all documents related to “allegations of domestic violence, violence against women, and/or other forms of violence committed by Kendrick Lamar.”

The Know Yourself rapper’s lawyers also noted that UMG Recordings provided a redacted version of Lamar’s 22-page recording contract with Interscope Records, as shared in a tweet by X user, @AkademiksTV. He said that the legal team plans to request the court for a version of the contract without any redactions.

According to a Billboard report, on August 12, 2025, attorney Michael Gottlieb claimed that the 22-page record deal from UMG is almost entirely redacted, “rendering it virtually unreadable and incomprehensible.”

Reportedly, in a lawsuit filed in January 2025, Drake has accused UMG of orchestrating a campaign to boost the popularity of Lamar’s 2024 Interscope Records diss track, Not Like Us, which called Drake “certified pae*ophile.”

This information was shared by multiple handles on social media. @FearedBuck posted on X on August 12, 2025, saying-

“Drake's legal team is reportedly requesting documents on allegations of domestic violence and violence against women by Kendrick Lamar. They are also seeking all documents regarding Dave Free's relationship with Kendrick Lamar and his children.”

Continue to read more about the case.


Drake’s legal team seeks potential evidence in their lawsuit against UMG

The ongoing feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar intensifies as the rapper’s legal team requests more evidence in their lawsuit against UMG.

UMG also denied the involvement of CEO Lucian Grainge and refused to turn over emails and messages from him. Gottlieb wrote:

“Plaintiff’s amended complaint contains numerous allegations specific to Grainge, including his role in and knowledge of the scheme to defame and harass plaintiff, and UMG’s use of deceptive business practices regarding the same.”
Drake performs live on stage during day two of Wireless Festival 2025 at Finsbury Park on July 12, 2025 - Day Two - Source: Getty
Drake performs live on stage during day two of Wireless Festival 2025 at Finsbury Park on July 12, 2025 - Day Two - Source: Getty

He added:

“UMG’s insistence on shielding Grainge from document discovery is unfair, unwarranted and inconsistent with fundamental principles of discovery.”

Billboard further reported that, in addition, Drake’s legal team is seeking other evidence, such as records related to Interscope’s financial gains, the valuation of Kendrick Lamar’s music catalog, and the compensation details of Interscope CEO John Janick.

Recently, the rapper’s team was granted approval by a New York federal judge to serve a subpoena to Kojo Menne Asamoah, whom they believe played a major role in artificially increasing the numbers of Lamar’s track, Not Like Us. He also suspects that Asamoah allegedly coordinated secret payments on behalf of UMG executive Ramon Alvarez-Smikle.

The filing read,

“Plaintiff alleges that Mr. Asamoah 'possesses knowledge relating to UMG’s use of covert tactics to promote the Defamatory Material, including because Plaintiff believes that Mr. Asamoah was involved in directing payments and/or financial incentives from UMG to third parties involved in online botting for the purpose of artificially inflating the streaming numbers of the Recording.’”

A report in Hot New Hip Hop stated that his team spent $75K to serve him multiple times before, but they failed until the recent ruling.

Edited by Yesha Srivastava