Fans are Connecting the Dots in Drake's UMG Lawsuit

You can now watch Travis Scott’s Barcelona performance, with two unreleased JACKBOYS tracks, as a film on Spotify. In other news:

• Fans are inspecting Drake’s UMG lawsuit 👀 

• What to know about DDG and Halle Bailey’s legal battle ⚖️

• New Music Friday releases 💿️

• Industry Insights 📈

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Drake’s UMG Lawsuit Makes a Lot More Sense After This

Pusha T just revealed that Clipse left Def Jam because the label tried to get them to censor a Kendrick Lamar verse—yes, really. Instead of cutting the bar, they cut ties. And according to Pusha, it cost them seven figures to walk away.

That bombshell, casually dropped mid-interview with GQ, has fans connecting dots that go way back to before the Kendrick and Drake beef. From shelved verses to blocked releases, the theory goes like this: Drake was the most protected man in hip-hop… until he wasn’t.

Steven Victor Adds Fuel: The Pop Smoke Block

​​Not long after Clipse’s GQ interview blew up, Pusha T’s longtime manager, Steven Victor, added fuel to the fire in a Billboard interview—and the plot thickened.

Victor claimed that UMG almost blocked Pop Smoke’s posthumous album because they thought Pusha’s verse on “Paranoia” was a diss aimed at—you guessed it—Drake. 

“We’re not going to put this out now, unless you get Pusha to change these lyrics,” Victor recalled. “Even though it has nothing to do with Pop Smoke... they’re like, ‘Either he changes these lyrics, or we’re not putting the album out.’”

Pusha himself hinted at this back in 2020, saying that while his verse got blocked, Young Thug’s made the cut. According to Pusha, the execs didn’t even understand the lyrics. They just assumed there was shade because “HE”—allegedly Drake—told them so. Insert your favorite Illuminati meme here.

Fans are now connecting the dots, pointing to a pattern of UMG protecting Drake at all costs. Case in point: the infamous “Story of Adidon” was dropped on SoundCloud, bypassing traditional label release—allegedly to dodge industry interference.

The “Splash Brothers” Censorship 

That suspicion only deepened after another curious case of censorship resurfaced—this time from Drake himself.

Last year, French Montana dropped “Splash Brothers” with Rick Ross and Lil Wayne. But fans noticed someone missing from the final cut: Drake. He was originally on the track… until he wasn’t. ​​In the unreleased version, Drake raps: “Lucian [Grainge] and me is just like Kobe and Shaquille, but we never even chill, and that’s the reason going independent just never had an appeal…”

While it might’ve sounded like a flex at the time—comparing his relationship with the UMG CEO to one of the greatest duos in sports history—it hits a lot differently now. Fans are calling it ironic, if not downright embarrassing, considering Drake yanked the verse after UMG didn’t ride for him the way he clearly expected.

Why the UMG Lawsuit Suddenly Makes Sense

And that brings us to the lawsuit.

Back in January, Drake filed a defamation suit against UMG. His legal team claimed it had nothing to do with Kendrick and everything to do with UMG: “This is not about the artist who created ‘Not Like Us…’ It is, instead, entirely about UMG, the music company that decided to publish, promote, exploit, and monetize allegations that it understood were not only false but dangerous.”

The lawsuit, taken in context with all the old receipts, as well as Pusha and Victor’s interviews, has led fans to feel very validated in their conspiracies. The theory? Once UMG broke rank and didn’t block Kendrick’s diss, Drake felt betrayed—and decided to take them to court over it. 

Turns out, the machine Drake once flexed might be the same one that finally turned on him. But again, these are all just conspiracies. 

A Judge Has Denied DDG’s Restraining Order Request

On June 4, DDG (AKA Darryl Dwayne Granberry Jr.) filed an emergency motion asking the court to block his ex-girlfriend Halle Bailey from traveling internationally with their son, Halo. He claimed Bailey posed an “emotional and psychological risk” to the child and requested sole physical and legal custody. Alternatively, he asked that any custody exchanges be facilitated by a neutral third party if not granted sole custody.

DDG also detailed several allegations in his motion. He claimed that Bailey once took his firearm and left the house without informing him of her whereabouts, later finding her outside, allegedly holding the weapon. 

He further alleged that Bailey attempted to have an abortion without telling him, but ultimately decided against it. In addition, he claimed she sent “a series of alarming text messages,” in which she allegedly threatened to kill herself and implied that their infant son might also be harmed.

Halle Bailey Responds to DDG’s Motion 

That same day, Bailey responded by filing a motion to deny DDG’s emergency request. She also asked the court to issue protective orders preventing DDG and his family from posting publicly about her, Halo, or their ongoing legal proceedings. 

In her filing, Bailey pointed out that DDG and his legal team had ignored repeated attempts to schedule supervised visits since May 13—the day she was granted a temporary restraining order. That order also gave Bailey sole custody and cleared her to bring Halo with her for an eight-week film shoot in Italy starting early June. She argued that DDG waited until days before her departure to challenge the terms, despite having weeks to respond.

She also specifically highlighted a recent incident at Dream Con 2025 in Houston, Texas as a reason why DDG’s motion should be denied. His brother DuB got into an altercation with another man after they referred to DDG as “Doo Doo Garbage.”

“…I will bring this video to Court. Darryl and the people around him are aggressive and angry, which leads me to believe this is not a safe environment for Halo,” the declaration states. 

The Latest Verdict 

The judge ultimately denied DDG’s emergency motion, allowing Bailey to proceed with her previously approved travel plans with Halo. The court has not yet released the official reasoning behind the decision. A full hearing is scheduled for June 24, where both parties’ competing permanent restraining orders will be reviewed.

New Music Friday

Here’s all the music you can listen to now—categorized by 💿️ for albums and 🎶 for singles:

• 💿️ Tha Carter VI by Lil Wayne

• 💿️ Lotus by Little Simz

• 💿️ Veteran (Director’s Cut) by JPEGMAFIA

• 💿️ Luka Trončić 2 by BabyTron

• 🎶 “Blocs” by Pi’erre Bourne

• 🎶 “see ur face,” “nylon,” “sdp,” “super serum” and “SRTBBL” by Destroy Lonely

• 🎶 “Typa” by GloRilla

• 🎶 “Old Logic” by Logic

• 🎶 “Outta Here” by French Montana, Trippie Redd

• 🎶 “ALL I WANT IS YOU” by The Kid LAROI

• 🎶 “All In” by Ty Dolla $ign

• 🎶 “Hostile” by midwxst

• 🎶 “Intermission” by Tory Lanez

• 🎶 “Shop With Us” by Icewear Vezzo

• CoachDaGhost is facing the music. The Brooklyn rapper was sentenced to 60 years to life for the ambush shooting that ultimately killed 17-year-old Bryan Sanon and injured two others in 2021.

• Fyre Festival isn’t gone after all. The “Fyre Coral View Pop-Up in Utila” will take place this September in Honduras.

• Russell Simmons is taking legal action. He has filed a $20 million defamation lawsuit against Warner Bros. Discovery over the On The Record documentary, which tells the stories of his accusers of alleged sexual assault. 

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