Universal Music Group has filed a motion to dismiss Drake’s defamation lawsuit against the label, claiming that the lawsuit is a “misguided attempt” by Drake to “salve his wounds” following a “rap battle” loss to rival Kendrick Lamar. The motion, filed in the US district court for the southern district of New York, argues that Drake willingly participated in the rap battle and should have accepted his loss like the “unbothered rap artist he often claims to be.” Universal Music Group (UMG), which represents both artists, asserts that Drake’s complaint lacks merit and should be dismissed. UMG also denies promoting harassment of Drake through its support of Not Like Us, a track by Lamar that accused Drake of being a “certified pedophile.” The track topped the Billboard Global 200 chart and won Record and Song of the Year at the 2025 Grammys. The lawsuit, filed in January, alleged that UMG approved and launched a campaign to create a viral hit out of the rap track, which Drake claims spread false and dangerous allegations. UMG maintains that Not Like Us was nonactionable opinion and rhetorical hyperbole and accuses Drake of disregarding the conventions of the diss track genre. UMG further points out that Drake signed a public petition criticizing the use of artists’ creative expression against them. Drake’s attorney Michael J. Gottlieb responded by calling UMG’s motion a desperate attempt to avoid accountability and accused the label of profiting from dangerous misinformation.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/mar/18/drake-kendrick-lamar-universal-lawsuit-dismissal-motion-ntwnfb