Universal Music Group has filed a motion to dismiss Drake’s defamation lawsuit, claiming the Canadian rapper’s suit is a “misguided attempt” to “salve his wounds” after losing a rap battle with rival Kendrick Lamar. The company argues that Not Like Us, the track where Lamar framed Drake as a “certified pedophile,” is an example of artistic expression and not actionable defamation.
The motion points out that diss tracks are a popular art form centered around outrageous insults, and that Drake has signed public petitions criticizing prosecutors using rap lyrics as literal fact. Universal Music Group denies that its promotion of Not Like Us invited harassment of Drake, claiming the rapper is trying to contort violent metaphors into incitement.
Drake’s attorney Michael J. Gottlieb responded to the motion, stating that Universal Music Group wants to distract from a simple truth: the company is being held responsible for profiting from dangerous misinformation that has resulted in multiple acts of violence. The case will proceed, with Gottlieb confident that it will uncover Universal Music Group’s long history of endangering its artists.
The lawsuit was filed by Drake in January after UMG published Not Like Us, which features artwork identifying registered sex offenders and referenced a shooting outside the artist’s residence.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/mar/18/drake-kendrick-lamar-universal-lawsuit-dismissal-motion-ntwnfb