The legal battle between Drake and Universal Music Group (UMG) is just getting started, and Drake's legal team says they're more confident than ever that the lawsuit will continue. The Canadian pop star's attorney, Michael Gottlieb, has responded to UMG's motion to dismiss the suit, describing the label as "greedy" and "desperate" in a scathing statement given to AllHipHop.
At the center of all of this is Drake's lawsuit against UMG, which was filed following his claims that the label used artificial streaming tactics to prop up the success of Kendrick Lamar's pressingly brutal diss track, "Not Like Us." He claims that this damaged not only his image but also jeopardized his well-being, mainly after Kendrick made the allegation that he was a "certified pedophile" on that track.
UMG, however, doesn't have any of that. The label recently submitted a 32-page legal document seeking to dismiss the case, calling Drake's claims an "unfounded complaint." They portrayed the rapper as a sore loser in their filing, writing, "Plaintiff, one of the most successful recording artists of all time, lost a rap battle that he instigated and voluntarily participated in. "He has not just taken the loss like the unbothered rap artist he likes to think he is; he has instead sued his record label in a misguided effort to salve his wounds."
But in response, Gottlieb wasn't pulling any punches with his statement. He said UMG attempted to control public perception and divert shareholders' attention from what he called the "real issue," profiting from dangerous misinformation.
"UMG wants to pretend that this is about a rap battle to distract its shareholders, artists and the public from a simple truth: a greedy company is finally being held accountable for profiting from dangerous misinformation that has already led to multiple acts of violence," said Gottlieb.
Gottlieb also emphasized that Drake's team is not giving up and is firm in asserting that they intend to move forward with the lawsuit. "This motion is yet another desperate effort by UMG to evade responsibility, but we are fully confident that this case will move forward and will continue to expose UMG's long history of harming, abusing, and exploiting its artists."
This fiery exchange follows Drake's earlier agreement to trim parts of his lawsuit. UMG, however, wrote in its motion to dismiss that it had formally "requested that a hearing currently set for April 2, 2025, be rescheduled" in light of its motion.
As both sides refuse to back down, we could see one of the most high-profile disagreements in hip-hop history. Drake and UMG's rift only adds fuel to what's already been an incendiary rap beef with Kendrick Lamar, confirming that the drama isn't confined to the lyric sheet but headed to the lender's box as well.
With April not far away, everyone will be watching legal proceedings. Will Drake's lawsuit be held up and tell more profound practices in the industry, or will UMG be able to shut it down?
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