Attorneys within the Drake vs. Universal Music Group defamation attraction wish to hit pause on the proceedings for a few weeks. After initially being positioned on the expedited calendar for the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, attorneys on either side have requested a slowdown.
The case’s present schedule has Drake’s facet submitting their preliminary temporary by Dec. 22, with the federal government’s response due by Jan. 26, 2026. In a new doc filed the day earlier than Thanksgiving and obtained by Complex, attorneys on either side have requested for a delay of about a month, requesting that Drake’s temporary now be due by Jan. 21, 2026, and UMG’s response by Mar. 27. Drake’s reply to UMG will then be due by Apr. 17 if the brand new schedule is permitted.
The delay is being requested for a number of causes. The first one talked about is that the entire attorneys “will be traveling to see their families for the upcoming holidays,” and thus want extra time. The second is that, along with Drizzy’s attraction, the attorneys are busy with a number of different high-profile instances — together with, for Drake’s lead lawyer Michael Gottlieb, serving to Blake Lively battle Justin Baldoni.
The third cause is that the extension will give either side extra time to assemble amicus briefs. Those are briefs submitted to the courtroom by individuals or establishments that aren’t instantly concerned within the case, however have a robust curiosity in its final result.
The doc argues that as a result of “[t]his is a high-profile case bearing on issues of public interest such artistic expression and the scope of defamation law for public figures,” there are prone to be loads of individuals who could wish to weigh in.
Drake is interesting the dismissal of his swimsuit in opposition to UMG for defamation over Kendrick Lamar’s chart-topping 2024 single “Not Like Us,” the place the rapper has lyrics that, per a federal decide, “explicitly accus[e] Drake of being a pedophile.”
Attorneys for the five-time Grammy winner additionally argue that Kendrick issued “specific and unequivocal threats of violence” within the tune, which have positioned Drake “in a reasonable fear of physical harm.”
Southern District of New York Judge Jeanette Vargas mentioned in her ruling dismissing Drake’s swimsuit that “Not Like Us” was merely a a part of a rap battle, as Drake had additionally issued diss tracks for weeks previous to the monitor’s launch.
“The forum here is a music recording, in particular a rap ‘diss track,’ with accompanying video and album art. Diss tracks are much more akin to forums like YouTube and X, which encourag[e] a freewheeling, anything-goes writing style, than journalistic reporting,” Vargas wrote.