Drake is looking forward to hearing Universal Music CEO Lucian Grainge answer questions under oath as his defamation lawsuit against the major proceeds, a spokesperson said last week. That statement was made after Universal told the musician to be “careful what he wishes for” as his legal battle with the major moves to the discovery phase, because that means “Drake will personally be subject to discovery” too.
The latest statement from Universal, issued after Drake filed an amended lawsuit with the courts in New York, is a “desperate attempt to spin the narrative and deflect from the truth”, Drake’s spokesperson insisted, adding that the musician “is holding the largest music conglomerate in the world accountable for its actions and doing so without fear”.
Universal’s statement also noted that separate legal proceedings launched against it by Drake in Texas last year to “much fanfare and bluster” were “quietly dropped” last week. But those proceedings were only dropped because the New York lawsuit is now moving onto discovery, Drake’s spokesperson responded, before bragging, “that’s not retreat, that’s victory”.
Drake wants to hold Universal, his own label, liable for defamation for its role in releasing and promoting Kendrick Lamar’s diss track ‘Not Like Us’, the lyrics of which accuse Drake of being a pedophile. His lawsuit also accuses the major of employing dodgy marketing tactics when promoting Lamar’s record, including stream manipulation and payola.
Universal has been scathing about the lawsuit since it was filed in January, insisting that, in the context of a classic hip hop diss track, Lamar’s lyrics are “hyperbolic insults” that “clearly convey non-actionable opinion”. It’s also sought to portray Drake as being a sore loser after many people concluded that Lamar won the diss battle during which ‘Not Like Us’ was issued.
That said, last week’s statement from Universal was keen to stress that the real problem here is the lawyers. “Drake, unquestionably one of the world’s most accomplished artists and with whom we’ve enjoyed a sixteen year successful relationship”, it said, “is being misled by his legal representatives into taking one absurd legal step after another”.
“It is shameful that these foolish and frivolous legal theatrics continue”, it added, insisting that Drake’s lawsuit is going to be “reputationally and financially costly” for the musician, and yet he has “no chance of success”.
And, as the case moves onto discovery, the reputation risk for Drake will only increase, it argued. “Drake will personally be subject to discovery as well”, the major mused, before noting, “as the old saying goes, ‘be careful what you wish for’”.
In his response, Drake went for Universal’s management rather than its legal team. The major, his statement said, “claims to stand for creativity, but in fact exploits it and the artist community knows that”.
“Drake welcomes discovery and has nothing to hide”, his statement continued. “It’s not Drake who should worry” about what might be revealed via the discovery process, it went on, reckoning that Universal’s “current leadership” have more reason for concern. Team Drake “look forward” to hearing from Grainge, Interscope boss John Janick and other Universal execs “under oath”, their statement then declared.
Before Drake filed his defamation lawsuit in the New York courts, he initially went legal in both New York and Texas seeking data and information about Universal’s marketing tactics around ‘Not Like Us’, including its dealings with Spotify and iHeart in relation to the track.
Those separate proceedings were halted in New York just before the filing of the defamation suit, but they continued in Texas. Universal failed to get that legal action dismissed and Drake’s team were pushing forward with discovery requests. Until last week. Shortly before filing the amended defamation lawsuit in New York, Drake’s lawyers dismissed the Texas action.
Universal honed in on that development in its statement, saying the legal action in Texas was launched “with much fanfare and bluster" but then "quietly dropped”.
The major also noted that some of the specific allegations about dodgy marketing tactics have been removed or amended in the main defamation lawsuit. That, Universal said, is because Drake’s legal team are “fearful of being sanctioned by the court for asserting false allegations”. However, the specific claims removed from the amended lawsuit have been replaced with “more baseless allegations”.
But Drake’s team continue to stand by both the defamation and dodgy marketing allegations - even if some of the specific claims of stream manipulation have been withdrawn - while insisting that the Texas proceedings were only dropped because the New York lawsuit is proceeding. Their statement concluded, “UMG knows the case against it is only getting stronger”.