{"id":103753,"date":"2025-03-18T11:42:39","date_gmt":"2025-03-18T11:42:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/?p=103753"},"modified":"2025-03-18T11:42:42","modified_gmt":"2025-03-18T11:42:42","slug":"umg-moves-to-dismiss-drakes-defamation-lawsuit-calling-it-a-misguided-attempt-to-salve-his-wounds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/umg-moves-to-dismiss-drakes-defamation-lawsuit-calling-it-a-misguided-attempt-to-salve-his-wounds\/","title":{"rendered":"UMG moves to dismiss Drake’s defamation lawsuit, calling it a \u2018misguided attempt to salve his wounds\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Image credits: Norman Wong<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Universal Music Group fires back at Drake\u2019s lawsuit over Kendrick Lamar\u2019s \u201cNot Like Us\u201d- arguing it lacks merit.<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Universal Music Group (UMG) has finally responded<\/a> to Drake<\/a>\u2019s defamation lawsuit, calling for its dismissal with prejudice. The motion, filed Monday in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, argues that Drake is attempting to use legal action as a way to \u201csalve his wounds\u201d after losing a rap battle to Kendrick Lamar<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cInstead 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.\u201d<\/a><\/strong><\/p>UMG’s motion to dismiss<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Drake’s initial claim<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Many already know about the feud<\/a> between the pair last summer, as well as the legal allegations<\/a> that have rumbled on since November 2024<\/a>– the most recent of which was settled<\/a> between Drake and iHeartMedia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drake originally filed the lawsuit in January 2025<\/a> (which you can read here<\/a><\/strong>), claiming that UMG \u201capproved, published, and launched a campaign to create a viral hit\u201d out of Lamar\u2019s diss track, \u201cNot Like Us\u201d<\/a>. The lawsuit did not target Lamar despite his track labelling Drake a \u201ccertified pedophile\u201d. Instead, it accuses UMG of monetizing a song containing defamatory lyrics, artwork, and a music video<\/strong> that the label knew to be false and dangerous<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This lawsuit followed a series of legal disputes surrounding the track, which became a cultural moment after winning Record and Song of the Year at the 2025 Grammys<\/a> and was performed to a record audience at the Super Bowl halftime show<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Drake and iHeartMedia settle lawsuit over ‘Not Like Us’ payola dispute<\/a><\/blockquote>