Universal Music Group (UMG) has entered a motion to dismiss a recently amended lawsuit filed by Drake, as the legal battle between the 海角社区官网rapper and his record label continues.
The explosive lawsuit was originally filed by Drake’s legal team in January. It accused UMG of聽defamation and harassment over its release and promotion of聽Kendrick Lamar鈥檚 chart-topping diss track 鈥淣ot Like Us,鈥 which聽insinuated Drake and his associates were involved with pedophilia, among other things.
In April, Drake’s legal team expanded that lawsuit to聽incorporate more events, including Lamar鈥檚 performance of聽鈥淣ot Like Us鈥 at the 2025 Super Bowl, and his appearance at the 2025 Grammys, where the song聽swept all five of its nominated categories, including song of the year.
The amended complaint said Lamar’s Super Bowl performance was “orchestrated to assassinate the character of another artist.鈥 It alleged that UMG made “significant financial investments and leveraged its professional connections, via sophisticated and highly-organized publicity campaigns to arrange for the massive amplification of defamatory claims to over 133 million viewers at the Super Bowl and more than 15 million viewers at the Grammys.鈥澛
In UMG’s new motion to dismiss the suit, its legal team noted that the amended suit “removed obviously false factual allegations,” and described the new allegations as “astonishing.” The motion, which was reviewed by the Star, also noted that Lamar’s Super Bowl performance omitted the line calling Drake and his associates “certified pedophiles.”
“The focus of Drake鈥檚 new claims聽鈥 that ‘the largest audience for a Super Bowl halftime show ever’ did not hear Lamar call Drake or his crew pedophiles 鈥 betrays this case for what it is: Drake鈥檚 attack on the commercial and creative success of the rap artist who defeated him, rather than the content of Lamar鈥檚 lyrics,” the motion reads. “The amended complaint is without merit and should be dismissed with prejudice.”
In a statement shared with the Star, a spokesperson for UMG described Drake’s lawsuit as “‘legal’ blather,” and pointed out that “Drake himself has written and performed massively successful songs containing equally provocative taunts against other artists.”
“Apparently, Drake鈥檚 lawyers believe that when Drake willingly participates in a performative rap-battle of music and poetry, he can be ‘defamed’ even though he engages in the exact same form of creative expression,” the spokesperson said. “Drake鈥檚 lawyers can also keep seeking to ‘uncover’ evidence of wild conspiracies as to why one song that upset Drake had massive global appeal, but there is nothing to ‘uncover.’ Except for this: by working tirelessly in partnership with our artists, we achieve global success for them and their music. Our continuing partnership with Drake and his enduring success is a shining example. Despite his lawyers鈥 attempts to silence other artists and threaten the companies that work with them, we remain committed to propelling Drake鈥檚 career while maintaining our unwavering support of all our artists鈥 creative expression. Drake鈥檚 included.鈥
A representative for Drake’s legal team did not immediately respond to the Star’s request for comment.
UMG is a multinational music company and the distributor for the record labels of both Drake and Lamar. In 2022, Drake signed a multi-faceted deal with UMG that was reported to be worth as much as $400 million, making it one of the largest recording contracts ever.
In the spring of 2023, a rap feud between Drake and Lamar broke out. The feud lasted months, culminating in the release of “Not Like Us” just over a year ago. It was widely considered a knockout punch in the feud. The track reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts and broke several streaming records on Spotify. The song also won five Grammys.
In January, Drake launched the original lawsuit, alleging that UMG’s release and promotion of 鈥淣ot Like Us鈥 was not only defamatory, but also put Drake鈥檚 life at risk. In May 2024, days after the song was released, a security guard was shot during an incident at Drake鈥檚 mansion in Toronto.
Drake鈥檚 legal team alleges that the song is defamatory, citing the song鈥檚 lyrics and the single鈥檚 cover art, which features a photo of Drake鈥檚 海角社区官网mansion covered with several red markers representing the presence of registered sex offenders.
The lawsuit revealed dramatic details about a May 9 shooting at Drake鈥檚 home that left a security guard with life-threatening injuries. UMG鈥檚 promotion of 鈥淣ot Like Us,鈥 it argued, is an example of valuing 鈥渃orporate greed over the safety and well-being of its artists.鈥
In March, UMG filed a blistering motion to dismiss the lawsuit.
鈥(Drake), one of the most successful recording artists of all time, lost a rap battle that he provoked and in which he willingly participated,鈥 the motion read. 鈥淚nstead 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.鈥
The motion also referenced Drake鈥檚 own diss tracks, which contained attacks on Lamar鈥檚 character, including accusations that Lamar abused his fianc茅e.
鈥淎ssessed in context, as it must be, 鈥楴ot Like Us鈥 clearly conveys nonactionable opinion and rhetorical hyperbole 鈥 diss tracks are a popular and celebrated art form centred around outrageous insults, and they would be severely chilled if Drake鈥檚 suit were permitted to proceed.鈥
In April, a judge denied UMG鈥檚 motion to delay discovery, setting the stage for the formal legal process of gathering evidence. Drake鈥檚 team celebrated the decision, and said the process is likely to include deposing key executives at UMG.
鈥淯MG鈥檚 PR 鈥榮pin鈥 and failed efforts to avoid discovery cannot suppress the facts and the truth,鈥 said Drake鈥檚 lead attorney, Michael Gottlieb, in a statement at the time. 鈥淲ith discovery now moving forward, Drake will expose the evidence of UMG鈥檚 misconduct, and UMG will be held accountable for the consequences of its ill-conceived decisions.鈥
UMG suggested that the judgment to grant discovery was “routine,” in its response. 鈥淭hat 鈥榳in鈥 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, 鈥榖e careful what you wish for.鈥欌
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