Drake’s Label Information to Dismiss Amended Go well with, Calls It ‘Astonishing’

As anticipated, Drake’s label Common Music Group has entered a movement to dismiss the rapper’s amended lawsuit for defamation that he filed in April.

Drake filed his preliminary swimsuit in opposition to UMG in January over Kendrick Lamar‘s “Not Like Us,” claiming that the label deliberately engaged in defamation by selling the track. In March, UMG filed a movement to dismiss. Final month, Drake’s authorized counsel refiled an amended criticism to deal with occasions that came about because the preliminary submitting, claiming that UMG knowingly negotiated and promoted “Not Like Us” by way of Lamar’s Tremendous Bowl efficiency and consented to the monitor being performed on the 2025 Grammy Awards.

On Wednesday, UMG as soon as once more filed to dismiss, this time for the amended criticism, largely sustaining the arguments from the unique movement whereas addressing the newer claims made within the up to date criticism. Counsel for the corporate started by stating that Drake filed an amended criticism the place he “eliminated clearly false factual allegations,” and described the brand new allegations as “astonishing.”

Relating to the Tremendous Bowl efficiency, legal professionals for UMG wrote, “As Drake concedes, Lamar’s Tremendous Bowl efficiency didn’t embody the lyric that Drake or his associates are ‘licensed pedophiles’ (i.e., the alleged ‘Defamatory Materials’ that’s on the coronary heart of this case). The main focus of Drake’s new claims—that ‘the most important viewers for a Tremendous Bowl halftime present ever’ didn’t hear Lamar name Drake or his crew pedophiles—betrays this case for what it’s: Drake’s assault on the business and artistic success of the rap artist who defeated him, reasonably than the content material of Lamar’s lyrics.”

In an announcement to Selection, a UMG spokesperson shared, “Nowhere within the hundred-plus web page ‘authorized’ blather written by Drake’s legal professionals do they trouble to acknowledge that Drake himself has written and carried out massively profitable songs containing equally provocative taunts in opposition to different artists. Nor do they point out that it was Drake who began this specific trade. Apparently, Drake’s legal professionals consider that when Drake willingly participates in a performative rap-battle of music and poetry, he may be ‘defamed’ regardless that he engages in the very same type of inventive expression.”

Representatives for Drake didn’t reply to Selection‘s request for remark.

All through the 33-page doc, reviewed by Selection, UMG expands on a number of arguments made of their preliminary movement to dismiss. The corporate’s counsel claims that for Drake to justify his defamation declare, he “cherry-picked” nameless on-line feedback as proof that listeners took “Not Like Us” as reality as a substitute of artwork or hyperbole. They argue that the “subjective opinions of a handful of individuals don’t consider, notably the place — as right here — they’re present in nameless on-line feedback, that are notoriously unreliable.”

Past that, UMG’s counsel notes that Drake had withdrawn his prior “false allegations” that UMG paid to make use of bots to stream “Not Like Us,” as said on a podcast. They’re claiming that Drake is now citing a special podcast host who stated that Lamar used bots, and that he’s counting on a since-deleted nameless X remark accusing Lamar of “shopping for promo” to “clown [Drake’s law]swimsuit” and one other put up claiming UMG and Lamar used a bot streamer. “Courts reject such on-line comment-based pleading as a result of on-line feedback ‘completely fail to make believable’ the underlying factual claims,” they wrote.

Of their assertion to Selection, UMG continued, “Drake’s legal professionals may also hold in search of to ‘uncover’ proof of untamed conspiracies as to why one track that upset Drake had large international enchantment, however there’s nothing to ‘uncover.’ Apart from this: by working tirelessly in partnership with our artists, we obtain international success for them and their music. Our persevering with partnership with Drake and his enduring success is a shining instance. Regardless of his legal professionals’ makes an attempt to silence different artists and threaten the businesses that work with them, we stay dedicated to propelling Drake’s profession whereas sustaining our unwavering help of all our artists’ inventive expression. Drake’s included.”

Regardless of UMG’s movement to dismiss the amended criticism, discovery within the swimsuit continues to be ongoing. In early April, a decide denied UMG’s request to remain the invention course of and allowed Drake to proceed in requesting entry to paperwork, together with Lamar’s contracts with the label.