Drake is preparing to intensify his legal dispute with Universal Music Group, alleging that they handled Kendrick Lamar‘s “Not Like Us” improperly, according to Universal’s legal counsel. In a crisp missive dispatched to the judiciary last Friday, February 21, UMG’s sharp-witted attorney, Rollin A. Ransom, petitioned to push back a pretrial huddle slated for April 2. His aim? To grant the court ample breathing room to mull over Universal’s forthcoming bid to squash the defamation suit outright—a move the label must execute by March 17.
As the conversation unfolded, Ransom observed that the details of the situation remain fluid and ever-shifting. “[P]ursuant to separate correspondence, Plaintiff has agreed to withdraw certain key allegations in his complaint,” he states. Ransom’s note remains maddeningly vague, offering no specifics on the nature of those pivotal claims.
Drake’s Legal team issues response to umg’s request to delay trial
Nonetheless, Drake’s attorneys have fired back at UMG’s request to delay the pretrial conference. In a letter filed on February 24 from the Southern District of New York, Drizzy’s legal team claims that Universal’s request is baseless and unjust. “UMG’s request to Adjourn is unsupported by the law or facts—indeed, UMG does not cite a single case suggesting, let alone holding, that adjournment is appropriate under these circumstances,” they stated. “The reason for UMG’s failure to marshal any supporting authority is straightforward: UMG is attempting to circumvent the Rules (as well as the local rules) by obtaining a stay of discovery without actually moving for one.”
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Last month, Drake lodged a blistering lawsuit in New York’s federal courthouse, charging the music corporation with slander and relentless torment. In the lawsuit, the Toronto hip-hop legend excoriates UMG, alleging the label “approved, published, and launched a campaign to create a viral hit out of a rap track that falsely accuses Drake of being a pedophile and calls for violent retribution against him.” He doubles down on earlier accusations, asserting the firm deployed shady tactics to catapult “Not Like Us” to worldwide fame, covertly funneling cash for artificial streams and airtime.
He explains that pure profit drove this move. The track would rake in a fortune from downloads and plays, while its provocative edge, Universal Music Group calculated, would tarnish Drake’s reputation and market worth—handing them leverage in future contract talks. “UMG anticipated that extending Drake’s contract would be costly,” the filing asserts. “By devaluing Drake’s music and brand, UMG would gain leverage to force Drake to sign a new deal on terms more favorable to UMG.”
Drizzy contends he pressed Universal Music Group on Kendrick’s diss track, citing real harm, but the label stayed silent.
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