Universal Music Group Moves to Dismiss Drake’s Lawsuit
Drake’s legal fight against Universal Music Group (UMG) just got even messier.
In a blistering motion filed on Monday (March 17), UMG called for the lawsuit’s dismissal, arguing that the Toronto-based emcee is only suing because he “lost a rap battle” he started and is now trying to “salve his wounds” in court, Variety reported.
The label goes on to claim that Drake “lost a rap battle that he provoked and in which he willingly participated.” Rather than accepting defeat, UMG argues, he’s now going after his own label in a “misguided attempt” to recover from the loss. “Plaintiff’s Complaint is utterly without merit and should be dismissed with prejudice,” the filing states.
UMG’s legal team also calls out what they see as hypocrisy in Drake’s argument. The filing points to a public petition the rapper signed less than three years ago, condemning the use of rap lyrics as legal evidence. “Drake was right then and is wrong now,” the motion reads. “Complaint’s unjustified claims against UMG are no more than Drake’s attempt to save face for his unsuccessful rap battle with Lamar.”
However, Drake’s legal team isn’t backing down. In a statement to the outlet, his attorney, Michael J. Gottlieb, dismissed UMG’s motion as a “desperate ploy” to avoid accountability.
“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,” Gottlieb said.
“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,” he added.
The latest motion follows Universal’s separate attempt to dismiss Drake’s pre-suit deposition request in Texas, which sought evidence of the label’s alleged involvement in artificially inflating and promoting “Not Like Us.”
With both sides standing firm, it’s clear that the legal battle is far from over.
