Universal Music Group (UMG) has filed a motion to dismiss Drake’s federal defamation lawsuit, calling it a “misguided attempt to salve his wounds” following his rap battle loss to Kendrick Lamar.
Drake, who filed the lawsuit in January, took legal action over Lamar’s diss track Not Like Us, in which the Compton rapper referred to him as a “certified paedophile.”
The Canadian superstar has vehemently denied the allegations and claims the song incited real-world consequences, including a break-in at his Toronto mansion that left his security guard shot.
However, UMG is pushing back, arguing that the lyrics are “nonactionable opinion and rhetorical hyperbole.
” The label insists that diss tracks thrive on exaggerated insults and that allowing Drake’s lawsuit to proceed would have a chilling effect on the genre.
Adding another layer of controversy, UMG pointed out that Drake himself had used its platform to distribute his own incendiary diss tracks against Lamar, including unverified domestic violence allegations.
They also denied Drake’s accusations that they manipulated streaming numbers for Not Like Us using bots and pay-to-play tactics, calling the claims “illogical” and “frivolous.”
Meanwhile, Drake’s attorney, Mike Gottlieb, slammed UMG’s motion as a “desperate ploy” to avoid accountability.
He accused the label of profiting from “dangerous misinformation” that has already led to violence.
The lawsuit has sparked intense debate among fans, particularly given that Drake is signed to Republic Records—a UMG subsidiary—while Lamar is under Interscope Records, another UMG division.
This means the record label owns stakes in both artists, making its position in the battle especially complicated.
As the feud rages on, it remains to be seen whether Drake’s lawsuit will move forward or if UMG’s motion will succeed in shutting it down.
