Drake’s legal counsel has swiftly responded to Universal Music Group’s (UMG) motion to dismiss his lawsuit over his claims regarding Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” diss track.

On Monday (March 17), AllHipHop obtained a statement from Drake’s lead attorney Michael Gottlieb pushing back on the 32-page legal document UMG filed in which it categorized Drake’s lawsuit as an “unfounded complaint.”

In the explosively stern, yet concise, statement Gottlieb released in response, the lawyer outright called out UMG for attempting to “distract” shareholders and others from their true actions. In doing so, Gottlieb described UMG as a “greedy” company profiting from misinformation and accused the company of causing far more serious conflicts, as a result.

“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’s statement reads in part.

As the statement continues, Gottlieb claims UMG is “desperate” and brazenly boasts the “confidence” Drake’s legal team has that the lawsuit will continue to move forward.

“This motion is a desperate ploy by UMG to avoid accountability, but 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,” the statement concludes.

UMG’s legal filing moving to dismiss Drake’s lawsuit follows the Canadian MC agreeing to to scale back portions of the suit, last month. Drake initially accused UMG of inflating the song’s success using artificial streaming tactics, bots and other actions he claims not only tarnished his reputation but also put his safety at risk in the wake of Kendrick branding him a “certified pedophile.” However, in accordance with UMG’s legal team’s lead attorney Rollin A. Ransom, the label previously formally requested that a hearing regarding the lawsuit scheduled for April 2, 2025, be postponed, due to their plans to file a motion to dismiss by March 17.

In the introductory of the 32-page legal filing, UMG wasted no time in addressing what they see as an unfounded complaint.

“Plaintiff, one of the most successful recording artists of all time, lost a rap battle that he provoked and in which he willingly participated,” the motion states. “Instead of accepting the loss like the unbothered rap artist he often claims to be, he has sued his own record label in a misguided attempt to salve his wounds.”

Drake’s legal battle against Universal Music Group (UMG) has taken yet another turn following the record label’s latest legal filing.

According to court documents obtained by AllHipHop, UMG filed a motion on Monday (March 17) to dismiss the lawsuit Drake filed against the label over his claims about the Kendrick Lamar’s ”Not Like Us” diss track. In the introductory of the 32-page legal filing, UMG wasted no time in addressing what they see as an unfounded complaint.

“Plaintiff, one of the most successful recording artists of all time, lost a rap battle that he provoked and in which he willingly participated,” the motion states. “Instead of accepting the loss like the unbothered rap artist he often claims to be, he has sued his own record label in a misguided attempt to salve his wounds.”

The court documents detail how the highly publicized feud between Drake and Lamar escalated in the spring of 2024, resulting in the release of nine diss tracks between them. UMG points out that Drake actively encouraged the back-and-forth, even dropping an extra diss when he felt Lamar was taking too long to respond.

UMG further highlights Kendrick’s “Not Like Us” as a cultural phenomenon, stating that it was the best-selling rap song of 2024, won multiple Grammys (including Record of the Year and Song of the Year) and even became part of the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show. Additionally remarking on the fact that the song’s impact was so massive that Saturday Night Live included it in its 50th anniversary special.

UMG’s motion to dismiss Drake’s lawsuit follows yet another major development in the Canadian MC‘s legal pursuit. Earlier this month, Drake reached a settlement with Texas-based iHeartMedia over the dispute concerning “Not Like Us.” In a court filing, Drake’s attorneys confirmed that the rapper and iHeartMedia had “reached an amicable resolution of the dispute,” but provided no additional details, per the outlet. “We are pleased that both parties have reached a mutually satisfactory settlement and have no further comment on the matter.”

Drake’s initial legal petition was filed in November 2024 in Bexar County, Texas. The petition alleged that iHeartMedia received illegal payments from Universal Music Group (UMG) to boost radio airplay for “Not Like Us.”