The Drake and Kendrick Lamar battle had many unintended consequences, and while we know the extent of many of them, we still have to wait for the full legal repercussions to develop. The 6ix God's defamation lawsuit against UMG, specifically over the diss track "Not Like Us," is still a contentious topic for the court, and both sides are going all out.
For those unaware, he recently updated his legal claims to include allegations of defamation against the Grammys and the Super Bowl (not as defendants, but as supposed evidence against UMG). The label and distributor responded dismissively to these additions, denying any and all wrongdoing. Now, a representative from Drizzy's legal team reportedly responded to UMG's recent response with a statement of their own.
Drake's response to UMG paints the label as "desperate" to "spin the narrative" and obfuscate the truth. "Drake is holding the largest music conglomerate in the world accountable for its actions and doing so without fear," it reads.
In addition, attorneys clarified they retreated discovery in Texas because they chose to proceed with it in New York, and called this a "victory" against UMG's retracted first amendment claim in Texas court. "UMG knows the case against it is only getting stronger," the Toronto superstar's legal team alleged.
Drake UMG Lawsuit
Then, they addressed the matter of discovery in this Drake lawsuit, stating he has nothing to hide and welcomes any process. Instead, his lawyers think it's UMG who should worry about discovery, and they expressed anticipation for CEO Lucian Grainge, Interscope Records CEO John Janick, and other UMG employees to testify under oath.
Furthermore, they alleged UMG exploits its artists for cash, and also called into question the company's biggest shareholder. They did not name this individual, but one Twitter user in the replies of the post below theorized this could be French businessman Vincent Bolloré, who faces accusations of corruption and money laundering concerning various African NGOs (non-governmental organization). In Drake's legal team's view, this "reinforces the need for transparency all the way up to the Board of Director’s level."
Finally, Drake's lawyers responded to UMG's statement by directly flipping one of their quotes against them. "UMG said, ‘Be careful what you ask for,’ Drake knows exactly what he asked for: the truth and accountability." We will see how the court responds...
