UMG Asks to Dismiss Drake’s Federal Lawsuit In Scathing Court Documents

Lawyers for Universal Music Group (UMG) have responded to Drake’s federal lawsuit against the major label today (3/17) and asked the court to dismiss the defamation case. Their filing opens with lyrics to Drake’s track 'Successful': “Yeah, I want it all, that’s why I strive for it/Diss me, you’ll never hear a reply for it.”

“Plaintiff [Drake], one of the most successful recording artists of all time, lost a rap battle that he provoked and in which he willingly participated. Instead of accepting the loss like the unbothered rap artist he often claims to be, he has sued his own record label in a misguided attempt to salve his wounds. Plaintiff’s Complaint is utterly without merit and should be dismissed with prejudice.”

“Drake has been pleased to use UMG’s platform to promote tracks leveling similarly incendiary attacks at Lamar, including, most significantly, that Lamar engaged in domestic abuse and that one of Lamar’s business partners and managers is the true father of Lamar’s son. But now, after losing the rap battle, Drake claims that ‘Not Like Us’ is defamatory. It is not.”

“Notably, less than three years ago, Drake himself signed a public petition criticizing 'the trend of prosecutors using artists creative expression against them' by treating rap lyrics as literal fact. As Drake recognized, when it comes to rap, '[t]he final work is a product of the artist’s vision and imagination.' Drake was right then and is wrong now. The Complaint’s unjustified claims against UMG are no more than Drake’s attempt to save face for his unsuccessful rap battle with Lamar. The court should grant UMG’s motion and dismiss the Complaint with prejudice.”

Drake's lawyers responded to the motion to dismiss, saying, “UMG wants to pretend that this is about a rap battle in order to distract its shareholders, artists and the public from a simple truth: A greedy company is finally being held responsible for profiting from dangerous misinformation that has already resulted in multiple acts of violence. This motion is a desperate ploy by UMG to avoid accountability, but we have every confidence that this case will proceed and continue to uncover UMG’s long history of endangering, abusing and taking advantage of its artists.”


You can read UMG's full motion to dismiss here, if you wish.



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