Drake Quietly Ends Partnership With Booking Agent Amid Fallout From Kendrick Lamar Feud
Drake quietly ended his relationship with the booking agent he shared with Kendrick Lamar earlier this year, according to Billboard. The move was kept largely out of public view in an effort to avoid media attention.
A source told Billboard that Drake and longtime agent Brent Smith of Wasserman Music have not worked together for most — and possibly all — of 2025. The split was linked in part to the fallout from Drake’s feud with Lamar, which escalated following the release of Drake’s Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 diss track, “Not Like Us.”
Drake had worked with Smith for more than a decade, beginning during Smith’s time at WME and continuing after Smith joined Wasserman Music in 2020. Smith currently serves as the company’s executive vice president and managing executive.
Billboard reports that Drake will now be represented at CAA by a team led by Daryl Eaton. Hits Daily Double first reported the news.
Drake’s departure from Wasserman follows the major success of Lamar and SZA’s Grand National Tour, which earned $358.6 million and sold 1.76 million tickets, making it one of the highest-grossing hip-hop tours on record, according to Billboard Boxscore. Drake is said to be preparing for his own 2026 tour with Live Nation, with whom he has a long-standing exclusive global touring agreement. The shared booking agent had been a point of interest in the industry as Drake and Lamar’s conflict intensified. Drake also sued Universal Music Group over lyrics in “Not Like Us,” claiming the statements were false and defamatory. A federal judge dismissed the case last month, and Drake’s legal team has filed an appeal.
