Drake is presumably busy these days working on his new album ICEMAN, but the holiday season is coming in hot. As such, he wants some deserved time off with his family and away from his many endeavors, including legal matters.
According to a new court document obtained by Complex, both Drizzy's team and defense attorneys for Universal Music Group requested for the court to push back key deadlines and pause overall proceedings in his appeal over his dismissed "Not Like Us" lawsuit. For those unaware, he accused UMG of defamation by releasing and promoting the Kendrick Lamar diss track.
The OVO mogul's side had a December 22 deadline to submit their initial brief, with the government responding by January 26 of next year. However, both sides have now requested to change the brief date to January 21, 2026. This filing reportedly came in on Wednesday (November 26). If this secured schedule secures approval, UMG would have to respond by March 27 and the Toronto superstar's team's reply would be due by April 17.
While holiday time with family is one reason for this request, another is the other high-profile legal cases that attorneys have. For example, Drake's lawyer Michael Gottlieb is representing Blake Lively in her legal battle with Justin Baldoni. In addition, both sides want more time for uninvolved individuals and institutions to submit amicus briefs to the court. These briefs would represent deep interest in the appeal's result on behalf of their submitters with no involvement.
"This is a high-profile case bearing on issues of public interest such artistic expression and the scope of defamation law for public figures," the filing reportedly reads.
Drake ICEMAN
Even if this lawsuit appeal fails, Drake's allegedly not done with Kendrick Lamar. According to DJ Akademiks, he wants to take over Kendrick's global tour record with a new trek for ICEMAN.
We will see how that plays out once the album actually lands. Of course, a massive tour would be wildly successful. Let's wait for what Drake does next musically and keep our eyes peeled on this UMG court debacle and its continued development.
