Common Music Group has filed a movement to dismiss Drake’s amended defamation lawsuit over Kendrick Lamar’s hit observe Not Like Us, arguing that the lyrics are “nonactionable opinion and rhetorical hyperbole” fairly than assertions of reality.
Drake filed an amended criticism final month that added new allegations relating to Lamar‘s efficiency throughout the Tremendous Bowl LIX halftime present in February.
In a authorized memorandum filed on Might 7, and obtained by MBW, UMG asks the court docket to dismiss Drake’s amended criticism with prejudice.
The memorandum characterizes the lawsuit as “Drake’s try to avoid wasting face for his unsuccessful rap battle with Lamar” and describes the “new allegations” as “astonishing.”
In a press release issued to MBW on Wednesday evening (Might 7), a UMG spokesperson slammed “the hundred-plus web page ‘authorized’ blather written by Drake’s attorneys”.
They added, nevertheless, that UMG “stay[s] dedicated to propelling Drake’s profession whereas sustaining our unwavering assist of all our artists’ artistic expression. Drake’s included.”
You’ll be able to learn the complete assertion from UMG under:
“Nowhere within the hundred-plus web page ‘authorized’ blather written by Drake’s attorneys do they trouble to acknowledge that Drake himself has written and carried out massively profitable songs containing equally provocative taunts towards different artists.
“Nor do they point out that it was Drake who began this specific alternate. Apparently, Drake’s attorneys imagine that when Drake willingly participates in a performative rap-battle of music and poetry, he will be ‘defamed’ regardless that he engages in the very same type of artistic expression.
“Drake’s attorneys may also preserve looking for to ‘uncover’ proof of untamed conspiracies as to why one music that upset Drake had large world attraction, however there is nothing to “uncover.” Aside from this: by working tirelessly in partnership with our artists, we obtain world success for them and their music.
“Our persevering with partnership with Drake and his enduring success is a shining instance. Regardless of his attorneys’ 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 assist of all our artists’ artistic expression. Drake’s included.”
Drake’s lawsuit, filed in January, accused UMG of selling a “false and malicious narrative” about him by way of the content material, art work, and music video for Not Like Us. The observe was a part of a extremely publicized rap feud between the 2 artists that dominated headlines all through 2024.
The rapper claimed that sure lyrics within the music have been defamatory. He additionally alleged the discharge resulted in “bodily risk to Drake’s security” in addition to “the bombardment of on-line harassment.”
UMG’s movement describes Not Like Us as “Lamar’s culminating observe in one of many nastiest lyrical warfare rap feuds in current historical past,” which adopted “the discharge of seven previous tracks through which Drake and Lamar hurled more and more vitriolic allegations” at one another.
You’ll be able to learn the newest submitting in full right here.
The movement argues that the lyrics have to be thought of of their correct context, a rap diss observe, which is “hardly a discussion board {that a} cheap individual would count on to convey rigorous, factual content material.”
Notably, UMG highlights that Drake himself initiated among the inflammatory content material, mentioning that he had “goaded Lamar to ‘Discuss [Drake] likin’ younger women‘” in his personal observe Taylor Made Freestyle, launched throughout the feud.
The movement additionally notes that Drake signed a petition lower than three years in the past criticizing “the development of prosecutors utilizing artists’ artistic expression towards them” by treating rap lyrics as literal reality, stating that with regards to rap, “[t]he last work is a product of the artist’s imaginative and prescient and creativeness.”
The authorized submitting additionally seeks dismissal of Drake’s further claims for “Second Diploma Harassment” and violation of New York Basic Enterprise Regulation § 349, arguing that the harassment statute doesn’t create a “personal proper of motion”, and that Drake didn’t correctly allege the weather required for his shopper safety declare.
UMG’s attorneys spotlight the industrial and creative success of Not Like Us, noting it was “the bestselling rap music of 2024” and that Rolling Stone deemed it “the largest second in music this yr.”
The music obtained 5 Grammy Awards and Lamar carried out a model of it on the February 2025 Tremendous Bowl halftime present.
Drake’s amended submitting arrived two weeks after Choose Jeanette Vargas in New York dominated that the invention course of within the defamation case may start.
In March, UMG requested the choose for a keep of discovery within the lawsuit, a day after the corporate filed a movement to dismiss the case. Drake had beforehand opposed UMG’s try and halt the evidence-gathering course of.
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