UMG Moves to Dismiss Drake’s Lawsuit, Calling It an “Attempt to Save Face”

UMG is pushing back hard against Drake’s lawsuit over Kendrick Lamar’s hit diss track “Not Like Us,” labeling the legal action as nothing more than an “attempt to save face” following the rapper’s public loss in their high-profile feud.

In a motion filed in New York federal court, UMG argued that Drake’s claims are baseless and should be dismissed with prejudice. The company described Drake’s lawsuit as a misguided response to his defeat in the rap battle, stating that “Plaintiff, one of the most successful recording artists of all time, lost a rap battle that he provoked and in which he willingly participated. Instead of accepting the loss like the unbothered rap artist he often claims to be, he has sued his own record label in a misguided attempt to salve his wounds”​.

The legal team further dismissed the defamation claim, insisting that the controversial lyrics and imagery in “Not Like Us” are protected under free speech and fall squarely within the conventions of the rap diss track genre. The motion highlights that diss tracks have historically been filled with hyperbolic and exaggerated language and that Lamar’s song is no different.

“Not Like Us,” released in May 2024, was described as a “massive commercial and artistic success,” winning multiple Grammy Awards and becoming a cultural phenomenon. Despite Drake’s allegations that the song contained defamatory statements, UMG contended that the track is a clear example of non-actionable opinion and rhetorical hyperbole, asserting, “Drake’s unjustified claims against UMG are no more than his attempt to save face for his unsuccessful rap battle with Lamar”​.

However, Drake’s legal team fired back at UMG’s motion. In a statement, Drake’s attorney Michael Gottlieb said, “UMG wants to pretend that this is about a rap battle in order to distract its shareholders, artists, and the public from a simple truth: a greedy company is finally being held responsible for profiting from dangerous misinformation that has already resulted in multiple acts of violence. This motion is a desperate ploy by UMG to avoid accountability, but we have every confidence that this case will proceed and continue to uncover UMG’s long history of endangering and abusing its artists.”

Drake’s lawsuit alleges that UMG, by promoting “Not Like Us,” violated defamation laws and attempted to damage his brand. However, UMG’s motion emphasizes that Drake himself has been an active participant in rap battles, using UMG’s platform to release his own incendiary diss tracks targeting Lamar.

The court will now consider whether to grant UMG’s motion to dismiss or allow the case to proceed to trial.