AceShowbiz - Drake might have a hidden agenda with his lawsuit against Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us". According to a new report, the shocking legal action might have something to do with Kendrick's upcoming Super Bowl half-time performance in February 2025.

"Drake is concerned Kendrick will perform 'Not Like Us' at the Super Bowl," an insider told Daily Mail. "Universal bosses are shocked that Drake is suing them, and some people suspect the lawsuit is an attempt to stop Kendrick from performing 'Not Like Us' at the event."

The source also revealed Drake's future with UMG. "The label has no intention of ending its professional relationship with Drake over this," said the source.

Another insider, meanwhile, claimed that Kendrick was frustrated by people assuming that his Super Bowl performance in New Orleans would be focused on Drake. "People are trying to pigeonhole Kendrick into making his Super Bowl performance all about Drake," the source noted. "He has toyed with a few surprises including asking Drake and Lil Wayne to be a part of it. But he is starting to rethink that and just make the performance something for him and him only. He believes he deserves it and he doesn't need to offer an olive branch to anyone."

Kendrick's Super Bowl gig was plagued with criticism as some people, including several hip-hop stars, publicly said that Lil Wayne should be the one given the honor. Lil Wayne himself admitted in a video that he's "hurt" for not being chosen to headline the Super Bowl LIX Halftime show.

"I'mma say thank you to every voice, every opinion, all the care, all the love and the support out there. Your words turned into arms and held me up when I tried to fall back," he said at the time. "I blame myself for not being mentally prepared for a letdown and for automatically mentally putting myself in that position like somebody told me that was my position. But I thought there was nothing better than that spot and that stage and that platform in my city, so it hurt."

Back to Drake, he recently sued UMG for allegedly using bots, payola and other deceptive practices to boost "Not Like Us" streaming numbers on platforms like Spotify. Drake's filing alleged that UMG "did not rely on chance, or even ordinary business practices."

In response to the lawsuit, UMG issued a statement to Variety about the matter, calling the Canadian hip-hop artist's accusations "offensive." The statement read, "The suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue."

Universal Music Group went on to write, "We employ the highest ethical practices in our marketing and promotional campaigns. No amount of contrived and absurd legal arguments in this pre-action submission can mask the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear."