Drake Versus UMG: Label Seeks Dismissal Of “Retaliatory” Lawsuit 

Universal Music Group (UMG), is pushing back against Drake’s Texas lawsuit asking the court to toss out his filing. 

The label filed a 144-page motion to dismiss Drake’s petition, denying the rapper’s allegations. The motion argues Drake’s petition lacks sufficient evidence to support his allegation that they artificially boosted Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” as “hearsay” and “not admissible as evidence.” 

UMG claims Drake’s legal actions are “retaliatory” and an “apparent effort to limit the distribution of this diss track.  

Additionally, the music label also argues that rather than addressing his issues with Kendrick Lamar, Drake “has resorted to strategic legal retaliation against UMG and others, in an apparent effort to pressure them to limit the distribution of ‘Not Like Us.’” 

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Furthermore, UMG is seeking to have Drake cover their legal fees. The label requested a hearing on their motion within 60 days. 

UMG also asked the court to “suspend all discovery related to this matter” until a ruling has been made. 

UMG argues that Drake’s petition should be dismissed because he “did not file [it] in a ‘proper court'” as required by state law. 

The company also claims that Drake has “already filed suit on his potential claims, obviating any need for pre-suit discovery.” 

A hearing on the motion is currently scheduled for January 28, 2025, in Bexar County, Texas. 

Drake is suing UMG, claiming the label approved and promoted a track that falsely portrays him as a pedophile, leading to violence at his Toronto home, including a shooting that injured a security guard.  

UMG denies the allegations, calling the lawsuit an attempt to suppress artistic expression. Meanwhile, Drake’s legal team accuses the label of prioritizing “corporate greed over the safety and well-being of its artists.”