Common Music Group has responded to a defamation lawsuit filed by Drake earlier right now (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 monitor Not Like Us.
The lawsuit was filed simply hours after Drake, by way of his firm Frozen Moments LLC, withdrew an earlier authorized petition towards Common Music Group and Spotify, which accused the businesses of a scheme to “artificially inflate” Kendrick Lamar’s diss monitor, Not Like Us.
In response to the defamation lawsuit, a spokesperson for Common Music Group instructed us right now 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 possibly can learn UMG’s assertion in full beneath:
“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 around the globe 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 have interaction in defamation — towards 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 precise 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 have interaction in defamation — towards 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 may immediately or not directly change into a frivolous litigation goal for having completed nothing greater than write a music.”
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 buddies”.
Elsewhere within the criticism, Drake claims that the “lawsuit isn’t concerning the artist who created Not Like Us. It’s as a substitute solely about UMG, the music firm that determined to publish, promote, exploit, and monetize allegations that it understood weren’t solely false however harmful”.
You possibly can learn the submitting in full right here.
A press release issued by Drake’s authorized workforce at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP reads: “Drake filed a lawsuit towards his label, Common Music Group, to carry UMG accountable for knowingly selling false and defamatory allegations towards him.
“Starting on Might 4, 2024 and every single 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 needs the general public to imagine that it is a struggle between rappers, however this lawsuit isn’t introduced towards Kendrick Lamar. This lawsuit reveals the human and enterprise penalties to UMG’s elevation of earnings 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 acquire.”
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 music, Not Like Us, with the intention to make that music go viral, together with by utilizing ‘bots’ and pay-to-play agreements.”
The petition additionally claimed that “UMG charged Spotify licensing charges 30 % decrease than its typical licensing charges for Not Like Us in change for Spotify affirmatively recommending the Music to customers who’re looking for different unrelated songs and artists.”
It continued to allege: “UMG nor Spotify disclosed that Spotify had obtained compensation of any form in change for recommending the Music.”
Final month, in response to Drake’s allegations a couple of 30% decrease fee in change 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 information 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 couple of days of one another (the opposite tracks are Euphoria and Meet The Grahams).
The monitor 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 monitor additionally marked the primary US No.1 for Not Like Us producer Mustard.Music Enterprise Worldwide
