Common Music Group has responded to a defamation lawsuit filed by Drake earlier at present (January 15).
Throughout the lawsuit, the celebrity artist accuses UMG of selling a “false and malicious narrative” about him by way of the content material of the lyrics, single art work, and music video for the Kendrick Lamar diss observe Not Like Us.
The lawsuit was filed simply hours after Drake, by way of his firm Frozen Moments LLC, withdrew an earlier authorized petition in opposition to Common Music Group and Spotify, which accused the businesses of a scheme to “artificially inflate” Kendrick Lamar’s diss observe, Not Like Us.
In response to the defamation lawsuit, a spokesperson for Common Music Group instructed us at present that, “not solely are these claims unfaithful, however the notion that we might search to hurt the popularity of any artist — not to mention Drake — is illogical”.
UMG’s spokesperson added the corporate “will vigorously defend this litigation to guard our individuals and our popularity”.
You may learn UMG’s assertion in full under:
“Not solely are these claims unfaithful, however the notion that we might search to hurt the popularity of any artist — not to mention Drake — is illogical. We’ve invested massively in his music and our staff world wide have labored tirelessly for a few years to assist him obtain historic industrial and private monetary success,” UMG’s spokesperson.
“We’ve not and don’t interact in defamation — in opposition to any particular person”
UMG spokesperson
They added: “All through his profession, Drake has deliberately and efficiently used UMG to distribute his music and poetry to interact in conventionally outrageous back-and-forth ‘rap battles’ to specific his emotions about different artists.
“He now seeks to weaponize the authorized course of to silence an artist’s artistic expression and to hunt damages from UMG for distributing that artist’s music.
“We’ve not and don’t interact in defamation — in opposition to any particular person. On the identical time, we’ll vigorously defend this litigation to guard our individuals and our popularity, in addition to any artist who would possibly immediately or not directly develop into a frivolous litigation goal for having achieved nothing greater than write a track.”
Drake claims within the lawsuit that the discharge and promotion of the recording has resulted in “bodily risk to Drake’s security” in addition to “the bombardment of on-line harassment” and as such, “fears for the security and safety of himself, his household and his pals”.
Elsewhere within the criticism, Drake claims that the “lawsuit isn’t concerning the artist who created Not Like Us. It’s as a substitute totally about UMG, the music firm that determined to publish, promote, exploit, and monetize allegations that it understood weren’t solely false however harmful”.
You may learn the submitting in full right here.
An announcement issued by Drake’s authorized workforce at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP reads: “Drake filed a lawsuit in opposition to his label, Common Music Group, to carry UMG accountable for knowingly selling false and defamatory allegations in opposition to him.
“Starting on Might 4, 2024 and day-after-day since, UMG has used its large sources because the world’s strongest music firm to raise a harmful and inflammatory message that was designed to assassinate Drake’s character, and led to precise violence at Drake’s doorstep.
“UMG desires the general public to imagine that it is a combat between rappers, however this lawsuit isn’t introduced in opposition to Kendrick Lamar. This lawsuit reveals the human and enterprise penalties to UMG’s elevation of income over the security and well-being of its artists, and shines a light-weight on the manipulation of artists and the general public for company achieve.”
The unique petition, filed in November 2024 however withdrawn this week, and which you’ll learn in full right here, alleged that UMG “launched a marketing campaign to control and saturate the streaming providers and airwaves with a track, Not Like Us, with a purpose to make that track go viral, together with through the use of ‘bots’ and pay-to-play agreements.”
The petition additionally claimed that “UMG charged Spotify licensing charges 30 % decrease than its normal licensing charges for Not Like Us in alternate for Spotify affirmatively recommending the Track to customers who’re trying to find different unrelated songs and artists.”
It continued to allege: “UMG nor Spotify disclosed that Spotify had acquired compensation of any sort in alternate for recommending the Track.”
Final month, in response to Drake’s allegations a couple of 30% decrease price in alternate for suggestions, a Spotify spokesperson instructed MBW: “Spotify has no financial incentive for customers to stream Not Like Us over any of Drake’s tracks.”
Each Drake and Lamar launch their data by way of UMG and its Republic Data and Interscope, respectively.
Not Like Us (Interscope), recorded by Lamar was launched as a part of a bitter rap feud with Drake on Might 4, as a part of a collection of three diss tracks, all launched inside a number of days of one another (the opposite tracks are Euphoria and Meet The Grahams).
The observe reached No.1 on the Scorching 100, marking Lamar’s fourth-ever US No.1, and his second that yr, following Like That by Future, Metro Boomin & Kendrick Lamar, which hit No.1 in April. The observe additionally marked the primary US No.1 for Not Like Us producer Mustard.Music Enterprise Worldwide
