Los Angeles, California – Universal Music Group has responded strongly to Drake’s defamation lawsuit over Kendrick Lamar’s diss track with a motion seeking to dismiss the case. Attorneys for the music giant argued that Drake’s claims against the company were baseless and motivated by his public humiliation after losing a rap battle he incited.
In the court filing, UMG emphasized that Drake himself had made exaggerated insults and serious allegations against Lamar during the exchange of harsh rap tracks. The company’s lawyers pointed out that Drake had used UMG’s platform to promote tracks that made similar provocative attacks on Lamar before filing the lawsuit against the label.
Drake’s attorney, Michael J. Gottlieb, defended his client by accusing UMG of trying to divert attention from the real issue. Gottlieb stated that the lawsuit aimed to hold UMG accountable for profiting from misinformation that has led to violence. He expressed confidence that the case would proceed and expose UMG’s history of mistreating artists.
The feud between Drake and Lamar escalated when Lamar released “Not Like Us,” a song that labeled Drake as a “certified pedophile.” Drake responded by suing UMG in January, alleging defamation and claiming that the label had purposely boosted the track’s popularity with false narratives about him. UMG’s response on Monday argued that Lamar’s lyrics were protected by the First Amendment, as they were typical of diss tracks that use hyperbolic language.
UMG contended that Drake’s lawsuit threatened the expression of diss tracks, which are an established art form celebrated for their outrageous insults. The company asserted that statements in diss tracks, including Lamar’s, are often rhetorical hyperbole or opinion, which cannot be proven false and therefore do not constitute defamation.
To strengthen their argument, UMG referenced Drake’s previous support for a petition criticizing the use of rap lyrics as evidence in legal cases. The company’s lawyers highlighted that Drake had acknowledged the creative nature of rap as a form of expression and claimed that his current lawsuit was merely an attempt to salvage his image after losing to Lamar in the rap battle.
Drake’s legal team is expected to file a response to UMG’s motion in the coming weeks, with the judge likely to rule on the motion in the next few months. If the motion is denied, the case will proceed to discovery and potentially lead to a trial in the future.