Drake Wants to See Universal Music Group’s Emails About Kendrick Lamar’s Diss Track

by

Following the resolution of a legal disagreement with iHeartMedia regarding Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” Drake is seeking information from Universal Music Group in various areas. He claims that the company illegally paid iHeartMedia to increase the playtime of the diss track on their radio stations.

On Tuesday, a federal judge rejected UMG’s request to halt the discovery process in a defamation lawsuit claiming they intentionally created a viral hit from a specific song. The ruling came a day after Drake asked for permission in a Texas court to question a UMG representative and to obtain certain documents that could shed light on whether the label acted as a clearinghouse for promoting the track or actively conspired to promote it by secretly paying radio stations.

Last week, Drake reached an agreement with iHeartMedia regarding a dispute that required the executives at the company to testify. The details of the settlement were not made public, but it did not involve any financial compensation.

As a gamer, I’d put it this way: “I traded some papers proving iHeart was innocent with Drake, and as a result, he decided to withdraw his petition.

In a lawsuit filed in New York this year, Drake (from Republic Records) and Kendrick Lamar (Interscope Records) – both under Universal Music Group (UMG) but different divisions – have been involved. Drake accused UMG of spreading defamatory claims about him being a pedophile by making hidden payments to third parties for song promotion, such as “Not Like Us,” and offering reduced licensing fees, among other actions. However, UMG declined to comment on the matter.

Michael Gottlieb, representing Drake, claims that according to secret information he has received, some Universal Music Group (UMG) labels have been involved in illegal agreements with radio and streaming platforms where they pay for certain songs to be played more frequently, increasing their popularity. Additionally, it’s alleged that these labels use bots to increase the number of streams artificially.

In the courts of Texas, Universal Music Group (UMG) requested to discard Drake’s petition using the Texas Citizens Participation Act, a law designed for swift dismissal of lawsuits meant to stifle free speech. They argued that their promotion of the song falls under protected activity as defined by the First Amendment.

Using the same legal basis, Drake contends that he is eligible for disclosure to verify if UMG falls under the TCPA. This would involve deposing a representative from UMG who will be questioned about their marketing plan for “Not Like Us”, details of any contracts with iHeartMedia and streaming services, agreements with influencers for promotion, as well as financial records demonstrating income generated from the song, among other relevant matters.

As a gamer, I can’t fairly challenge UMG’s claims about their role in promoting the song if this discovery isn’t made. For instance, they say they were just a ‘distribution hub,’ but without this information, it’s hard to prove otherwise. Similarly, they claim they weren’t selling anything, only services. But without this discovery, I can’t verify that either.” (John Zavitsanos, another lawyer for the singer, in the motion)

On Tuesday, Judge Jeannette Vargas of the U.S. District Court denied UMG’s request to postpone the discovery process. UMG had suggested that the case should be put on hold until the court reviews their petition to dismiss the lawsuit.

In a potential boost for Drake’s lawsuit against iHeartMedia, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently announced it would investigate whether the company is forcing artists to perform at their upcoming country music festival without payment or reduced fees, in exchange for preferential airplay. This practice could breach rules mandating broadcasters to disclose payments for airing specific content.

As a passionate gamer, I’d rephrase it like this: In my legal battle with UMG, I claimed they broke the unofficial “cheat codes” by secretly giving out illicit payments to DJs to hype up “Not Like Us”, without informing the audience that they were being influenced.

Read More

2025-03-04 22:54