Drake Allegedly Hired Two Private Investigators To Subpoena Kojo Menne Asamoah In UMG Lawsuit

BY Caroline Fisher
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Drake Kojo Menne Asamoah Hip Hop News
Jun 26, 2017; New York, NY, USA; Canadian rapper Drake poses for photos on the red carpet before the 2017 NBA Awards at Basketball City at Pier 36. Brad Penner / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Drake's legal team alleges that Kojo Menne Asamoah helped artificially inflate the success of Kendrick Lamar's hit, "Not Like Us."

Drake's legal battle with Universal Music Group (UMG) continues. According to court documents, he's now going after Kojo Menne Asamoah. The Toronto artist accuses Asamoah of playing a major role in allegedly artificially inflating the success of Kendrick Lamar's hit diss track, "Not Like Us."

Reportedly, Drake's team has already spent roughly $75K trying to serve him a subpoena. They believe he allegedly coordinated secret payments on behalf of UMG executive Ramon Alvarez-Smikle.

Per Kurrco, they've previously tried over a dozen times, and even enlisted the help of two private investigation firms. So far, they've been unsuccessful, despite searching various addresses in both California and Maryland. This has prompted them to ask the court to authorize alternative service via mail, email, and door posting. At the time of writing, the court has not yet ruled on the request.

Who Is Kojo Menne Asamoah?

For now, it's unclear exactly who Asamoah is. He's speculated, however, to be someone who works in digital marketing or in the music industry. The lawsuit alleges that he's "in possession of relevant documents and information for the Violation of New York General Business Law." Reportedly, the law has been cited in Drake's lawsuit. It "centers around deceptive business practices allegedly used by UMG and UMG employees for the promotion of Kendrick Lamar’s 'Not Like Us.'"

News of Drake's latest legal move comes shortly after it was reported that he submitted a lengthy witness list. Per Billboard, the list is also jam-packed with high-profile names. This includes UMG CEO Sir Lucian Grainge, former TDE president Dave Free, Interscope CEO John Janick, Republic co-founders Avery Lipman and Monte Lipman, and more.

As for UMG, their witness list is just nine names long, and features both Drake and Kendrick. “Lamar is likely to have discoverable information concerning the creation of the recording, image, and video, and the distribution and promotion of the recording and video,” they allege in court documents.

About The Author
Caroline Fisher is currently a News Editor at HotNewHipHop. Her time at HotNewHipHop began in 2023 when she began writing about music and pop culture full-time. Since then, she has helped cover major stories including the YSL RICO trial, Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s explosive feud, Diddy’s ongoing legal battle, and awards shows such as the BET Awards. Being from Chicago, she also got the opportunity to attend Summer Smash 2024 and review Chief Keef’s historic homecoming show. She additionally covered sets by Flo Milli, Playboi Carti, Bktherula, and more.

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