Drake’s UMG Lawsuit moves forward with subpoena ruling
Drake just won a legal step in his defamation fight with UMG over Kendrick Lamar’s hit Not Like Us.
Drake has secured a victory in his ongoing legal fight against Universal Music Group (UMG), with a New York federal judge granting him approval to serve a subpoena on a witness his lawyers say could be central to proving the company’s alleged role in spreading defamatory content.
The ruling clears the way for Drake’s legal team to compel testimony from Kojo Menne Asamoah, who the rapper believes has direct knowledge of UMG’s promotional strategy for Kendrick Lamar’s chart-topping diss track Not Like Us. The song, released earlier this year, contains explicit allegations that Drake says are both false and damaging to his reputation.
Court filings reveal that Drake’s team has been trying to locate Asamoah for months. Lawyers detailed 11 separate attempts to serve him, including efforts involving private investigators and professional process servers, costing an estimated $75,000. Despite those efforts, Asamoah could not be found at any known addresses.
The judge’s ruling authorizes “alternative service,” meaning Drake’s lawyers can now deliver the subpoena through certified mail to multiple addresses and send it electronically via email. This approach is often granted when a court agrees that a witness is deliberately avoiding service or is otherwise difficult to locate.
Drake’s lawsuit accuses UMG of knowingly promoting Not Like Us despite its allegedly defamatory lyrics. According to the complaint, the label’s marketing push included high-profile moments such as Lamar’s performance of the song during the Super Bowl halftime show and subsequent Grammy campaigns. Drake argues that these moves not only amplified the reach of the track but also intensified the damage to his public image.
His legal team claims that UMG may have gone further, allegedly using bots, paid promotional tools, or targeted advertising to boost the track’s visibility online. The subpoena to Asamoah is aimed at uncovering internal communications or operational details that could substantiate those claims.
UMG has denied any wrongdoing and is pushing for the lawsuit to be dismissed. The label’s attorneys have argued that the lyrics in question fall under artistic expression and that, in the context of rap music, audiences do not interpret them as literal statements of fact. They maintain that the song’s success was driven by organic fan interest rather than orchestrated manipulation.
If the subpoena yields evidence, it could shape the direction of the case, potentially strengthening Drake’s position in pre-trial negotiations or in front of a jury. Conversely, if Asamoah’s testimony or documents fail to support Drake’s allegations, UMG’s defense could be bolstered.