As one of the music industry’s highest-stakes lawsuits takes a significant twist, Drake’s team of attorneys is swinging back, alleging in new legal filings that Universal Music Group (UMG) is actively covering up a decades-long pattern of artist abuse. The latest drama erupted from a hearing that took place just yesterday, where lawyers for both Drake and UMG squared off in a courtroom battle over the label’s original motion to dismiss the rap star’s still-pending defamation lawsuit.
The case started in January with Drake suing for UMG’s alleged manipulation of the impact and reach of a Kendrick Lamar diss track about him, titled “Not Like Us.” The song blew up the rap world, with fiery bars, and went on to gain monumental traction, the sort of traction, Drake’s team asserts, that was no accident but a calculated and malicious effort by the label to push a story that would damage his brand and career. The insurers’ response last March was a vigorous denial, asking that the entire case be dismissed. But in April, Drake brought the hammer down by filing an amended complaint with a lengthier exhibit and new allegations, including charges related to Kendrick’s Super Bowl LIX halftime show performance.
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At a hearing before yesterday, lawyers for UMG defended the song as a quintessential example of “trash talking in the extreme,” which they said was the heart and soul of the hip-hop genre, and that it should not be taken as either literal or legal defamation. They said that the lyrical machismo of the track was artistic license. But Drake’s camp isn’t letting up. The stakes were raised in a newly released statement from his spokesperson, accusing UMG of trying to silence inconvenient truths. This is about an exploitation culture that UMG does not want the public to know exists. Their motion to dismiss is simply an attempt to bury that.
Although the judge has yet to decide whether to let the suit go forward, the accusations are now sparking discussions that extend far beyond Drake and Kendrick’s competitive verses. If the court allows the suit to proceed, it could be a rare public airing of internal industry practices, as the onus of responsibility in the digital streaming era comes under scrutiny. For now, though, everyone’s eyes are fixed on the courtroom, and the significant ripple effects this legal battle is sure to have across the music industry.
