It looks like Drake vs. UMG will be the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar part two that nobody expected. After Lamar’s diss song “Not Like Us” was released, Drake sued his own record label for defamation. He has expressed a strong desire to start the process as soon as possible. However, UMG has asked that their pretrial conference be put on hold. Rather than going along with this request, Drake’s lawyer released a statement that blasted UMG. He supported Drake’s argument with evidence in addition to criticizing the label harshly.
In a four-page brief, Drake’s lawyer, Michael J. Gottlieb, described what he considered to be UMG’s lack of professionalism. According to the affidavit, each time he has attempted to set up a meeting, the label’s legal team has ignored his demands. Gottlieb also claimed that UMG had been aware of Drake’s legal claims since last July, which is more than enough time to build a case. He asked the court to reject UMG’s request for a halt and compel UMG to follow the deadline. His logic? He feels that UMG is taking forever delaying the case in an effort to “circumvent” the court’s rules.
Michael J. Gottlieb claimed that UMG’s request for a delay didn’t have any evidence to do so. The idea of more delays was also criticized by Drake’s lawyer, who feels that a lot of the information that will be exposed in the case is time-sensitive. He worries that if the defamation action is repeatedly delayed, content from other parties involved—such as emails, texts, and posts on social media—may be removed or deleted. He claims that UMG, which is also the label that Drake is currently signed to, doesn’t care that they are ruining their biggest artist’s reputation. He also claimed that “Not Like Us” continues to be a stain on Drake and even addressed the halftime show in his latest court filing.
He claimed that after Kendrick Lamar‘s halftime show, Drake was once again the talk of the internet. It’s common knowledge the Super Bowl’s record-breaking ratings are due to the Drake effect and everybody wanting to hear “Not Like Us” on the biggest stage. In his document, Gottlieb referenced the 133.5 million viewers who watched Drake being made fun of and slandered. Time is of the essence to Drake and his legal team, and they do not want to be delayed any longer. The court will have to decide whether to give UMG a pause or proceed as originally scheduled because the pretrial date of April 2 is just over a month away.
