Drake granted access to redacted Lamar contract in UMG dispute

The team of Canadian rapper Drake has been granted access to a redacted version of Kendrick Lamar’s recording contract amidst the ongoing dispute with Universal Music Group(UMG).

Judge Jeanette Vargas of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York issued the ruling on Friday, August 22, 2025. Over a week earlier, Drake’s legal team filed a motion seeking internal UMG documents, including Lamar’s contract with UMG Recordings, Inc.

The decision allows the contract to be filed under seal in redacted form, designated for “Attorney’s Eyes Only.” Vargas stated that UMG demonstrated the information qualifies as confidential sensitive business information. The court found that protecting this information outweighs the qualified First Amendment presumption of public access.

Vargas also noted that the Lamar contract reflects an ongoing contractual relationship between UMG and Lamar. Sealing it would protect UMG’s business relationships and interests, as well as the privacy interests of non-parties.

This ruling follows months of discovery disputes between Drake and UMG. Drake’s team argued that UMG’s redactions rendered the 22-page agreement unreadable and incomprehensible.
The contract is central to Drake’s lawsuit against UMG. Drake accuses UMG of having contractual authority over Lamar’s music. He claims UMG deliberately released and promoted Lamar’s song “Not Like Us,” which Drake says contains defamatory allegations about him.

UMG initially resisted producing the unredacted contract. The label argued that executives, including CEO Sir Lucian Grainge, Interscope Chairman John Janick, and Republic Records executives Monte and Avery Lipman, were “apex custodians” exempt from discovery requirements.

Drake’s lawyers countered this by citing case law. They showed there is no blanket prohibition on taking discovery from high-level executives in federal court. UMG later abandoned the argument.
Drake’s lawsuit names multiple UMG executives. It alleges they approved content they knew was defamatory. Specifically, Drake claims Grainge and Janick were directly involved in publishing “Not Like Us.” He also accuses Monte and Avery Lipman, as President/COO and CEO of Republic Records—Drake’s label—of failing to prevent its release.

Earlier filings reveal Drake is seeking extensive documentation from UMG. This includes all internal documents and communications related to the renegotiation or anticipated renegotiation of Drake’s current contract with UMG. It also covers negotiations for a new contract, such as discussions on UMG’s leverage over Drake, the value of Drake’s recording catalog, costs of extending his current deal, and costs of a new agreement.
The case continues amid broader tensions in the music industry over artist contracts and promotional decisions.