Dr. Dre Declares Kendrick Lamar Winner Over Drake, Cites Family Insults as Turning Point
The highly publicized feud between Kendrick Lamar and Drake dominated headlines in 2024, with diss tracks flying back and forth. However, Dr. Dre made it clear that, in his eyes, Kendrick was the undisputed winner—and there was one moment in particular that solidified his stance.
Dre shared his thoughts during the debut episode of The Unusual Suspects, a new Audible series featuring Kenya Barris and Malcolm Gladwell, released on January 30, 2025. While discussing the rap beef, Dre admitted that he immediately lost respect for Drake when the OVO rapper began targeting Kendrick’s family.
Dr. Dre’s Reason for Siding With Kendrick
“I love ‘Not Like Us’,” Dre said during the interview. “I’ma say this on camera. I don’t want to get negative. My whole sht is about being positive and moving forward and all that sht, but the fact I heard Drake say something negative about Kendrick’s wife and his kids, that made me say, ‘Ah, adios!’”
Dre’s comments reference Drake’s lyrics about Kendrick’s longtime partner, Whitney Alford. During the feud, Drizzy accused Alford of having an affair with Kendrick’s manager and business partner, Dave Free, and even implied that Free was the real father of one of Kendrick’s children.
Drake’s Lawsuit Against Universal Music Group
Despite losing favor with Dre and many in the hip-hop community, Drake took an unexpected step by filing a lawsuit—not against Kendrick, but against Universal Music Group (UMG).
Earlier this month, Drake filed a defamation and harassment lawsuit in New York federal court, accusing UMG of launching an intentional smear campaign against him using Kendrick’s viral diss track “Not Like Us”.
In his legal complaint, Drizzy alleges that UMG “approved, published, and launched” a coordinated effort to promote the song, which he claims falsely brands him as a pedophile and calls for violence against him.
Drake’s lawsuit further alleges that UMG used “unlawful methods” to manipulate the song’s success, including:
- Secretly paying for fake streams
- Boosting radio play to turn it into a massive global hit
According to Drake, the motive behind this was financial.
Drake’s Claims of UMG’s Financial Gain from the Beef
Drake’s legal team argues that UMG’s primary objective was to profit from the diss track while simultaneously damaging Drake’s brand. The lawsuit claims:
“UMG anticipated that extending Drake’s contract would be costly. By devaluing Drake’s music and brand, UMG would gain leverage to force Drake to sign a new deal on terms more favorable to UMG.”
Drake believes that by amplifying “Not Like Us”, UMG created a toxic online environment, leading to a wave of hate speech and false accusations against him.
The lawsuit includes examples of what Drake calls an “avalanche of online hate speech”, with fans branding him a sex offender and pedophile based on the song’s lyrics.
Real-World Consequences: Violence at Drake’s Home
Beyond the online backlash, Drake points to real-life consequences that he directly blames on UMG.
Shortly after “Not Like Us” was released, there was a shooting at Drake’s Toronto mansion, which injured a security guard. The lawsuit also cites multiple trespassing incidents where individuals attempted to gain access to the rapper’s property.
According to Drake, UMG is responsible for this escalation, as they knowingly allowed a dangerous narrative to spread through the success of Kendrick’s diss track.
Drake’s Reputation Takes a Hit for Suing Over a Rap Beef
While Drake’s legal battle is solely with Universal Music Group, many fans and hip-hop insiders have criticized him for taking legal action in a rap feud. The move has sparked debate within the industry, with some seeing it as an unprecedented and controversial response.
Traditionally, rap beefs are settled on wax—not in the courtroom. By filing a lawsuit, Drake has been accused of breaking the unwritten rules of hip-hop, which dictate that lyrical battles should be handled with bars, not lawyers.
However, Drake maintains that his issue is with UMG’s manipulation, not Kendrick Lamar himself.
What’s Next? A Jury Trial Looms
Drake’s lawsuit demands a jury trial, meaning this battle could extend far beyond the rap world and into the legal system. If Drake can prove that UMG deliberately orchestrated a campaign against him, it could have major implications for how record labels handle rap feuds in the future.
For now, the dust seems to have settled on the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar beef, but the legal fallout is just getting started. As Dr. Dre firmly sides with Kendrick, and Drake fights a court battle against one of the most powerful music companies in the world, this saga is far from over.
