Drake Says Kendrick Lamar Super Bowl Halftime Show Assassinated His Character

9:54 AM PT -- A spokesperson for Universal Music Group tells TMZ ... "Drake, unquestionably one of the world's most accomplished artists and with whom we’ve enjoyed at 16-year successful relationship, is being misled by his legal representatives into taking one absurd legal step after another. In Texas last November, his counsel instituted a legal proceeding with much fanfare and bluster. On Monday, they quietly dropped the case."

They continued ... "In New York in January, Drake's counsel filed a defamation lawsuit. Fearful of being sanctioned by the court for asserting false allegations, tonight they amended the complaint to withdraw them only to add more baseless allegations. Two weeks ago, his representatives celebrated a 'win': the granting of a routine discovery motion. That 'win' will become a loss if this frivolous and reckless lawsuit is not dropped in its entirety because Drake will personally be subject to discovery as well. As the old saying goes, ‘be careful what you wish for.’

They concluded ... "Both the Texas and New York proceedings are an affront to all artists and creative expression. Should his legal representatives senselessly keep the New York lawsuit alive, we will demonstrate that all remaining claims are without merit. It is shameful that these foolish and frivolous legal theatrics continue. They are reputationally and financially costly to Drake and have no chance of success."

Drake says he has new ammo in his defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group ... and it's all because of Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl Halftime show.

Champagne Papi just filed an amended complaint where he specifically mentions Kendrick's performance of "Not Like Us" at Super Bowl LIX.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Drake claims the show "assassinated" his character ... and he says Kendrick excluding the word "pedophile" from the lyrics backs up his claim that the song's content is defamatory.

Drake says dropping "pedophile" from the lyrics was the only change made to "Not Like Us" ... and he claims Kendrick would not have gotten the green light to sing the song unless he removed "pedophile" from the track. He says, "that is because nearly everyone understands that it is defamatory to falsely brand someone a 'certified pedophile.'"

Drizzy also points out Kendrick's Super Bowl Halftime show in New Orleans was the most-watched of all time ... and he says it introduced the song to scores of new people, causing them "to be duped into believing that Drake was a pedophile."

As we reported ... UMG previously brushed off Drake's lawsuit as nothing more than sour grapes over losing a rap beef to Kendrick.