Universal Music Group (UMG) has filed a formal motion to dismiss rapper Drake’s defamation lawsuit concerning the label’s promotion of Kendrick Lamar’s controversial single, “Not Like Us.”
In a sharply worded legal motion, UMG claimed that Drake “lost a rap battle that he provoked and sued his own record label in a misguided attempt to salve his wounds.” The lawsuit centers around allegations by Drake that the track, featuring explicit and inflammatory lyrics, defamed him and his associates.
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Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” reportedly included provocative references labeling Drake and his friends as “certified pedophiles” who should “be registered and placed on neighborhood watch.” However, UMG argued that such language, though severe, fell within the accepted norms of competitive rap battles, told The Guardian.
The label emphasized that Drake himself actively participated in escalating the feud, stating, “Drake encouraged the feud… For example, when he felt that Kendrick was taking too long to respond, Drake released a second recording in which he goaded Kendrick to continue the public rap battle.”
“Kendrick did just that, and collectively Drake and Kendrick released a total of nine tracks taking aim at each other,” UMG’s filing explained. UMG’s motion further asserted that Drake had also used the label’s platform “to promote tracks leveling similarly incendiary attacks at Kendrick,” including accusations of domestic abuse and questioning the paternity of Kendrick’s child.
“But now, after losing the rap battle, Drake claims that ‘Not Like Us’ is defamatory. It is not,” argued the label. UMG also rejected Drake’s allegations that promoting the track constituted “second-degree harassment” or violated “New York’s general business law.”
Additionally, UMG highlighted Drake’s previous stance against prosecutorial misuse of artistic expression, recalling, “Less than three years ago, Drake himself signed a public petition criticizing ‘the trend of prosecutors using artists’ creative expression against them’ by treating rap lyrics as literal fact.”
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“Drake was right then and is wrong now,” UMG declared, concluding emphatically that “the complaint’s unjustified claims against UMG are no more than Drake’s attempt to save face for his unsuccessful rap battle with Kendrick. The court should grant UMG’s motion and dismiss the Complaint with prejudice.”
Drake’s attorney, Michael J. Gottlieb, dismissed the motion as a tactic to evade responsibility, telling Variety, “This motion is a desperate ploy by UMG to avoid accountability.”