Drake Gets the Court’s Approval to Review Kendrick Lamar Contract
A judge has denied Universal Music Group‘s motion to halt the process of gathering evidence in Drake‘s defamation case. Now the rapper will get access to UMG and Kendrick Lamar‘s contract agreement.
Drake Gets Minor Victory in UMG Lawsuit
On Tuesday (April 2), U.S. District Judge Jeannette A. Vargas ruled in favor of Drake being able to get access to UMG’s contracts and internal communications regarding the release of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” the song Drake is suing the music company over. These materials include, “Kendrick Lamar’s contract with UMG; documents and communications regarding the decision to publish the Defamatory Material, including documents and communications relating to UMG’s recent promotional activities surrounding the Grammys and Super Bowl.”
Additionally, Drake’s lawyers want, “documents and communications regarding the decision to continue publishing and to promote the Defamatory Material; documents and communications regarding UMG’s knowledge that the allegations in the Defamatory Material; documents reflecting the revenues and profits UMG has generated and retained as a result of the song; and documents and communications relating to any other works (in the past five years) that UMG has declined to approve or green light on the basis of UMG objections to lyrics or other content.”
Both parties have been ordered to submit a proposed case management plan or file a joint letter if they are unable to agree on a discovery schedule by April 9, 2025.
“Now it’s time to see what UMG was so desperately trying to hide,” Drake’s attorney, Michael Gottlieb, said in a statement to XXL about the update.
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Drake Presses UMG Over “Not Like Us”
After filing two pre-action petitions against UMG last November, Drake sued UMG for defamation for distributing Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” in January. The Canadian rap star claims he was defamed on the track, which references him as a child predator. He also claims UMG used payola and bots to artificially inflate the song so execs could pad their pockets with incentives.
UMG has denied Drake’s allegations. In March, they filed a motion asking the judge to dismiss the case.
“Plaintiff, one of the most successful recording artists of all time, lost a rap battle that he provoked and in which he willingly participated,” the motion reads. “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.”
XXL has reached out to UMG for comment.