Drake claims UMG is hiding its crimes against artists
The rapper’s lawyers accuse UMG of silencing artists and covering up misconduct
The Drake vs Universal Music Group (UMG) saga is heating up despite the main characters not even attending the court proceedings.
The latest chapter in the ongoing lawsuit began on Monday when Judge Jeannette Vargas went through the lyrics of Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us.
UMG's lawyers argued that the diss track is defamatory in nature and that context is important in understanding its lyrics.
Drake’s legal team asserted that the record label went out of their way to relentlessly promote the aforementioned song, making it “a de facto national anthem” not just for rap fans but for a general audience who were prone to take the lyrics literally.
The next day’s hearing saw the Canadian rapper’s attorney firing on all cylinders and making scathing allegations against UMG.
“UMG is desperate to see this case not move forward because the company can’t hide its misconduct in a courtroom the way it does in the boardroom,” Michael Gottlieb said in a statement.
“Soon, in addition to facing concerned regulators and investors, the leadership of music’s most powerful label will have to answer for the damage it has caused to every artist that has been silenced, exploited, endangered or discarded,” the statement continued.
It is worth noting that the current hearings are being conducted to discuss UMG’s request to dismiss the case.
When did Drake sue UMG?
The feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar intensified last year when the two rappers hurled personal insults at each other in a series of diss tracks.
The conflict led to the 38-year-old filing a lawsuit against UMG in November for allegedly conspiring to inflate streaming figures of Lamar’s Not Like Us.
However, in January, he withdrew his petition and filed a new one for defamation for allegedly promoting the diss track.
