UMG, Drake's record label, asserts that he was defeated in a rap feud with Kendrick Lamar, intends to dismiss his defamation claim.
No-holds-barred Insight:
Hey there! Let's dish on the dramabomb between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, shall we? The colossal Universal Music Group (UMG) is trying to shrug off Drake's federal defamation lawsuit over Kendrick's mega-hit "Not Like Us." UMG, in a Turn-the-Tables court filing, labeled Drake's lawsuit as a misguided attempt to mend his wounded pride after slipping up in a rap battle sparked by none other than the Compton king himself.
The sheer audacity of UMG to accuse the guy who's inking huge record deals with them, Drake, of being a crybaby, had our heads spinning! And we ain't even mentioning the corporate greed or "exploitation" allegations raised by Drake, but we'll get to that later.
The humor is thick as the air when you learn that both Drake (Republic Records, UMG) and Lamar (Interscope Records, UMG) are currently under UMG's roof, in other words, family! But this isn't your average family drama, mind you. No siree! This is a bloodbath of unfair labels, explicit accusations, and diss tracks that would rival the fiercest rap battles of old.
Now, Drake's lawyer isn't having it. In a blunt statement, Drake's counsel, Mike Gottlieb, painted UMG's move as a desperate attempt to wriggle out of responsibility. Gottlieb argued that UMG is just attempting to hide its profiteering from peddling dangerous misinformation that has incited violence, no less!
And, just when you thought this couldn't get any juicier, we've got ourselves a dirty laundry list of allegations, including a pre-action petition filed by Drake in November, claiming UMG conspired to artificially boost Lamar's song on Spotify using illicit means like bots and pay-to-play deals. Oh, and let's not forget the shooting at Drake's Toronto home, which, according to Drake, was resultant of this rap beef brewed over a false accusation of pedophilia.
UMG, for its part, has denied the allegations and called them "illogical" and "frivolous." Let the legal battle commence! Stay tuned folks, because things are bound to get messy! #RapBattles #UMGvsDrake #PedophileAllegations
FYI:
- BTS: The lawsuit stems from a public feud that spanned over a year, starting in October 2023, with Drake and Lamar exchanging increasingly personal and unverified insults in a series of songs.
- Notable Highlight: Lamar's diss track "Not Like Us" debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100 and won five Grammys in January. Lamar also performed the song in February during his Super Bowl Halftime Show in New Orleans.
- Pre-Action Petition: Drake filed a pre-action petition in November, alleging that UMG conspired to artificially boost Lamar's "Not Like Us" on Spotify using bots and pay-to-play agreements.
- First Amendment Protections: UMG has requested a stay of discovery to prevent Drake's lawyers from accessing sensitive documents until the motion to dismiss is resolved, citing First Amendment protections.
- Drake's legal team has countered UMG's filing, stating that the corporation's accusations of a misguided lawsuit are an attempt to evade accountability for profiteering from spread of dangerous information, which may have incited violence.
- In the midst of this personal and public feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, it's worth noting that both artists are signed under UMG, questioning the validity of corporate interests in entertainment and potential exploitation.
- The ongoing legal battle between Drake and UMG includes allegations of a pre-action petition filed by Drake in November, accusing UMG of conspiring to artificially boost Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us" on Spotify using illicit means like bots and pay-to-play deals.
