UMG is seeking to have a lawsuit filed by Drake to be dismissed, PEOPLE reports.
In the suit, UMG stated that Drake, “lost a rap battle that he provoked” against Kendrick Lamar” and “sued his own record label in a misguided attempt to salve his wounds.” Additionally, UMG claims that Drake has hurled hyperbolic statements “to promote tracks leveling similarly incendiary attacks at Lamar” although he claims the label promoted Lamar calling him a pedophile in “Not Like Us.”
UMG also argues that Drake sparked the war or words seemingly until the “public appeared to side with Lamar.”
“Drake encouraged the feud,” the suit read. “For example, when he felt that Lamar was taking too long to respond, Drake released a second recording in which he goaded Lamar to continue the public rap battle. Lamar did just that, and collectively Drake and Lamar released a total of nine tracks taking aim at each other.”
The suit goes on to say that Drake was “pleased” to use UMG’s platform that Lamar abused his wife “and that one of Lamar’s business partners and managers is the true father of Lamar’s son.”
“But now, after losing the rap battle, Drake claims that ‘Not Like Us’ is defamatory. It is not,” the filing states.
UMG refuted Drake’s argument that “Not Like Us” constitutes “second-degree harassment” and the label broke New York’s general business law by promoting it.
“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. As Drake recognized, when it comes to rap, ‘[t]he final work is a product of the artist’s vision and imagination,’” it states.
“Drake was right then and is wrong now. The complaint’s unjustified claims against UMG are no more than Drake’s attempt to save face for his unsuccessful rap battle with Lamar,” the statement continues. “The court should grant UMG’s motion and dismiss the Complaint with prejudice.”
In January, Drake filed the lawsuit against Universal Music Group, for allegedly promoting “Not Like Us.”
In a fiery response, UMG claims that Drake’s accusations have no merit.
“Not only are these claims untrue, but the notion that we would seek to harm the reputation of any artist — let alone Drake — is illogical,” UMG’s statement read. “We have invested massively in his music. and our employees around the world have worked tirelessly for many years to help him achieve historic commercial and personal financial success.”