​UMG seeks to dismiss Drake’s defamation lawsuit over Kendrick Lamar dispute

Universal Music Group (UMG) is seeking to dismiss Drake’s defamation lawsuit filed against the major label in January, saying his complaint is “utterly without merit”.

Drake’s New York lawsuit claimed that UMG “approved, published and launched a campaign to create a viral hit” out of Kendrick Lamar’s Drake-aimed diss track ‘Not Like Us’, alleging that they attempted to convey the “specific, unmistakable, and false factual allegation that Drake is a criminal pedophile.”

On March 17, UMG filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit against them, saying that Drake was only attempting to sue the label because he “lost a rap battle”.

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In the motion, seen by Variety, UMG writes: “Drake lost a rap battle that he provoked and in which he willingly participated. 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.”

The motion also claims that Drake’s suit was made “utterly without merit”, and should be dismissed “with prejudice”. The filing also attests that Drake failed to make a claim for defamation in his case.

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UMG argue that public feud between rappers is “not unique”, and that Drake should not expect his diss tracks to be promoted by the label but not Kendrick’s.

Drake’s attorney, Michael J. Gottlieb, said in a statement to Variety that the label “wants to pretend that this is about a rap battle in order to distract its shareholders, artists and the public from a simple truth: a greedy company is finally being held responsible for profiting from dangerous misinformation that has already resulted in multiple acts of violence”.

[Via Variety]

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Associate Digital Editor, follow her on Twitter