Update 12/6/25 11:35 p.m. ET: Santa must’ve came early, because Drake’s request for his “Not Like Us” suit to be pushed til after the holiday was approved. The rapper’s brief is now due on Jan. 26, 2026.
See the original story below.
Attorneys in the Drake vs. Universal Music Group defamation appeal want to hit pause on the proceedings for a few weeks. After initially being placed on the expedited calendar for the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, lawyers on both sides have requested a slowdown.
The case's current schedule has Drake's side submitting their initial brief by Dec. 22, with the government's response due by Jan. 26, 2026. In a new document filed the day before Thanksgiving and obtained by Complex, lawyers on both sides have asked for a delay of about a month, requesting that Drake's brief 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 new schedule is approved.
The delay is being requested for several reasons. The first one mentioned is that all of the lawyers "will be traveling to see their families for the upcoming holidays," and thus need more time. The second is that, in addition to Drizzy's appeal, the attorneys are busy with a variety of other high-profile cases — including, for Drake's lead lawyer Michael Gottlieb, helping Blake Lively battle Justin Baldoni.
The third reason is that the extension will give both sides more time to gather amicus briefs. Those are briefs submitted to the court by people or institutions that are not directly involved in the case, but have a strong interest in its outcome.
The document argues that because "[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 likely to be plenty of people who may want to weigh in.
Drake is appealing the dismissal of his suit against UMG for defamation over Kendrick Lamar's chart-topping 2024 single "Not Like Us," where the rapper has lyrics that, per a federal judge, "explicitly accus[e] Drake of being a pedophile."
Attorneys for the five-time Grammy winner also argue that Kendrick issued "specific and unequivocal threats of violence" in the song, which have placed Drake "in a reasonable fear of physical harm."
Southern District of New York Judge Jeanette Vargas said in her ruling dismissing Drake's suit that "Not Like Us" was merely a part of a rap battle, as Drake had also issued diss tracks for weeks prior to the track's release.
"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.