It seemed like the ongoing beef between Drake and Kendrick Lamar had finally settled. But just like that it has been reunited. Drake had brought litigation up against several entities over the distribution of Not Like Us. Claiming that the machine was giving extra push to Kendrick’s song which featured disparaging lyrics about the Canadian-born artist.
UMG Goes Scorched Earth on Drake
Weeks had passed since the Grammy-winner filed the complaint over Not Like Us. However one of the music entities that Drake is suing, Universal Music Group (UMG) has come back with a vengeance. In a new statement filed by the record label’s lawyers, the company said that Drake’s complaint against them is just a case of him sucking sour grapes.
“Plaintiff, one of the most successful rap artists of all time, lost a rap battle that he provoked and in which he willingly participated,” lawyers for the label wrote.
“Instead of accepting the loss like the unbothered rap artist he often claims to be, he has sued his own record label. In a misguided attempt to salve his wounds. Plaintiff’s complaint is utterly without merit and should be dismissed with prejudice.”
However, Drake’s personal lawyer, Michael Gottlieb says that Universal is not being completely honest in their defense. He says that UMG is pretending that the lawsuit is over Not Like Us. But that the root of the issue is much more serious.
“UMG wants to pretend that this is about a rap battle. In order to distract its shareholders, artists, and the public from a simple truth. A greedy company is finally being held responsible for profiting from dangerous misinformation that has already resulted in multiple acts of violence,” he wrote in the statement.
“This motion is a desperate ploy by UMG to avoid accountability, but we have every confidence that this case will proceed and continue to uncover UMG’s long history of endangering and abusing its artists.”
