Drake Drops ‘Key Allegations’ In ‘Not Like Us’ Defamation Lawsuit, UMG Claims

Universal Music Group’s attorney says that Drake has made changes to his defamation lawsuit against them over their handling of Kendrick Lamar‘s diss track ‘Not Like Us‘.

In a crisp missive dispatched to the judiciary last Friday, February 21, UMG’s sharp-witted attorney, Rollin A. Ransom, petitioned to push back a pretrial huddle slated for April 2. His aim? To grant the court ample breathing room to mull over Universal’s forthcoming bid to squash the defamation suit outright—a move the label must execute by March 17.

As the conversation unfolded, Ransom observed that the details of the situation remain fluid and ever-shifting. “[P]ursuant to separate correspondence, Plaintiff has agreed to withdraw certain key allegations in his complaint,” he states. Ransom’s note remains maddeningly vague, offering no specifics on the nature of those pivotal claims she dangles before us.

Last month, Drake lodged a blistering lawsuit in New York’s federal courthouse, charging the behemoth music corporation—overlord of both his and Kendrick’s label homes—with slander and relentless torment. In the lawsuit, scrutinized by this reporter, the Toronto hip-hop luminary excoriates UMG, alleging the label “approved, published, and launched a campaign to create a viral hit out of a rap track that falsely accuses Drake of being a pedophile and calls for violent retribution against him.” He doubles down on earlier accusations, asserting the firm deployed shady tactics to catapult “Not Like Us” to worldwide fame, covertly funneling cash for artificial streams and airtime.

He explains that pure profit drove this move. The track would rake in a fortune from downloads and plays, while its provocative edge, Universal Music Group calculated, would tarnish Drake’s reputation and market worth—handing them leverage in future contract talks. “UMG anticipated that extending Drake’s contract would be costly,” the filing asserts. “By devaluing Drake’s music and brand, UMG would gain leverage to force Drake to sign a new deal on terms more favorable to UMG.”

The filing, which supports his defamation lawsuit, presents a plethora of evidence that exposes Drake’s reputation as a sexual predator and child abuser. It also points to a gunfire incident at his Toronto estate—leaving a guard wounded—hot on the heels of “Not Like Us,” alongside a spate of intrusions. Drake pins the fault squarely on UMG, the complaint asserts.

Drizzy contends he pressed Universal Music Group on Kendrick’s diss track, citing real harm, but the label stayed silent.

via: Hot97

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