Drake’s Legal Team Responds to UMG’s Request
A team of lawyers for Drake has rejected the request from Universal Music Group (UMG) to pause evidence collection in the ongoing court lawsuit concerning the diplomatic trenches related to Kendrick Lamar’s hit song Not Like WeField.
In a letter submitted to Judge Janett A. Vargas on Wednesday (March 20) and obtained by MBW, Michael J. Gotlib, Drake’s advocate, asserts that UMG’s request to freeze the process should be denied.
“UMG could not meet its burden,” Gotlib claims in the four-page letter, emphasizing that UMG’s petition fails in all three factors typically considered when assessing such requests.
Gotlib cites the court’s statement that “it is not the usual practice of this court to routinely delay proceedings pending a request for dismissal,” stressing that such delays are exceptions rather than the norm.
This application comes just a day after UMG sought the court’s guidance regarding the discovery process, with UMG attorney Rollin A. Rations affirming that “courts in this area have emphasized the necessity of protecting defendants from unnecessary disclosures to safeguard the First Amendment.”
Drake’s Team Challenges UMG’s Argument
A central focus of UMG‘s argument for dismissal is that the contentious content in Not Like We should be viewed as protected opinion rather than as factual statements.
In its dismissal petition filed on March 17, UMG argued that the elements of dissent are “protected opinion” and not factual statements, contending that Drake “lost his rap credibility, which he provoked and willingly engaged in.”
Drake‘s team strongly disagrees with this characterization. In their response, they assert that UMG’s argument “completely disregards the complaint’s assertion that millions interpreted the slanderous material as a true statement that the plaintiff is a pedophile.”
The new correspondence indicates that Drake‘s lawsuit includes substantial evidence showing that listeners interpreted Lamar‘s lyrics as factual statements about Drake, rather than merely artistic expressions.
Gotlib further contends that UMG overlooks the assertion that “the statements in question (and the surrounding context) implied that they were based on unresolved evidence, which the audience understood in the same way.”
Concerns Over Evidence Preservation
Drake’s legal team raises serious concerns regarding the preservation of UMG documents as well as third-party information related to electronic storage, which often doesn’t follow standard business record-keeping practices, such as mobile data retention.
They argue that crucial evidence, especially from mobile devices, may not be adequately preserved should the discovery process be delayed.
Furthermore, the letter mentions that “the plaintiff’s injuries accumulate daily, and the plaintiff seeks a trial,” emphasizing the urgent nature of Drake’s claims.
Drake‘s lawsuit against UMG, filed in January, alleges that the company propagated a “false and malicious narrative” about Drake through the content of lyrics, individual artworks, and a music video for Not Like WeField.
The ongoing discovery dispute marks the latest development in this high-profile legal case stemming from one of 2024’s biggest hits and notable rap feuds. Not Like We was released in May 2024 as part of a series of diss tracks involving Drake and Lamar.
This situation follows Drake’s withdrawal of his earlier legal petition against Universal Music Group and Spotify in January, which accused the companies of inflating streaming numbers for the Lamar track.
Drake opposes UMG’s attempt to halt discovery in ‘Not Like Us’ defamation lawsuit
