Universal Music Group (UMG) have filed to dismiss Drake‘s lawsuit against them over Kendrick Lamar‘s ‘Not Like Us’.
Last November, the ‘Hotline Bling’ hitmaker filed a dispute against Universal Music Group in New York, alleging that the publisher and label had “artificially inflated” streams for ‘Not Like Us’ among other allegations.
In the filing – which can be viewed here – Drake’s Frozen Moments LLC accused UMG and Spotify of “illegally” aiding and boosting ‘Not Like Us’ streams in favour of Lamar – who entered a viral rap feud with Drake last year.
Now, as reported by Variety, UMG has filed a motion to dismiss the Canadian rapper’s suit, stating that he sued the corporation because he “lost a rap battle” and used the legal action as a way to “salve his wounds.”
It also claimed that Drake had “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.”
UMG also cited a 2022 petition in their filing which noted that Drake along with various other musicians had demanded that prosecutors stop citing rap lyrics as evidence in criminal trials. “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,” read the filing.
The corporation also argued that the ‘Views’ rapper had failed to make out a claim of defamation within his suit. They added that it would be a double standard to promote his track and not promote Lamar’s. It adds that Lamar’s hit track “conveys nonactionable opinion and rhetorical hyperbole, not fact,” adding that they can’t be accused of acting with malice.
They further claimed that there was no basis for Drake’s suit as the rapper failed to state a claim for “harassment in the second degree” under New York General Business Law.
Michael J. Gottlieb, Drake’s attorney, shared a statement that read: “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,” (per Variety).
Elsewhere, Drake recently settled his payola dispute against iHeartMedia for promoting ‘Not Like Us’.