With 2024 in its final weeks, many are looking back at the best shows of the year and ahead to the projects coming on the 2025 TV schedule and beyond. I'm sure more than a few are very excited about Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime performance. However, that likely does not include Drake, who recently made some legal moves concerning his beef with the rapper. Now, a legal expert has weighed in on how a potential lawsuit would go, and he didn't mince words.
Co-founder of streaming service Audiomack Brian “Z” Zisook spoke with Rolling Stone about Drake's legal action against Lamar and music label UMG, which has been mocked by programs like Inside The NBA and more. Amidst similar comments from legal representatives who said the case for a lawsuit "doesn't have much meat on the bone," Zisook explained that the rapper's attempt to discredit the success of the diss track "Not Like Us" may not go the way he wants:
He may have lost the plot here a bit, but time will tell. I’m not sure how far this goes. Sometimes these things flare up, and then they just kind of go away. I think it is in everyone’s best interest that this does not move forward. The fact that it happened at all undeniably is going to damage Drake’s reputation even more than he has experienced over the last 12 months.
Kendrick Lamar and Drake's rap feud dominated pop culture conversations in 2024, and it even led to some weird fan interactions online. While the Super Bowl halftime show will undoubtedly be a time Drake wants to miss, experts in the entertainment industry feel the only thing he's accomplishing with these legal filings is putting more attention on the diss track and Lamar.
The gist of the analysis is that making defamation claims in a "rap feud" will be shaky ground for any lawsuit. And when it comes to claims of using bots to artificially boost streaming metrics and claims of payola, the burden of finding evidence would be very hard to prove. Additionally, it's suggested that all popular artists in the industry benefit from bot manipulation of their songs, including Drake.
In short, the expert is saying it's best for this not to be pursued, because Drake might spend a lot of time and money on a case that he has a very small chance of winning.
Snoop Dogg Offers A Refreshing Take On Drake And Kendrick Lamar’s Rap Beef
News of Drake's legal filings, which are not officially a lawsuit yet, come on the heels of Kendrick Lamar's latest album GNX. The rapper hasn't seemed too concerned publicly about what his rival is doing, though it is possible he might have more beef with other performers in 2025. Lil Wayne was unhappy he was snubbed for the Super Bowl in New Orleans, and given his friendship with Drake, I've wondered if he could be the next person targeting Lamar.
Then again, I'd question if any rapper wants to go toe-to-toe with K-Dot after how much attention this latest feud received from the masses (I think we all remember Chet Hanks having to explain to his father, Tom, what the relevance of it all is, for example).
For now, it seems like we'll all just have to keep an eye on the legal side of Drake's feud with Kendrick Lamar and others and see if a possible motive or endgame becomes clear. Until then, I'm staying far away from both, lest I get a massively popular diss track released about me!
