Universal Music Group (UMG) has filed a motion to dismiss Drake’s petition for a pre-suit deposition in Bexar County, Texas, arguing the rapper lacks sufficient evidence to support his claims.
Drake alleges that UMG artificially boosted and promoted Kendrick Lamar’s hit song “Not Like Us” as part of a broader scheme.
In November 2024, the 38-year-old rapper initiated two legal actions: a petition in New York accusing UMG of conspiring with Spotify and another in Texas alleging unethical practices. While Drake withdrew the New York petition to pave the way for a future lawsuit, the Texas petition remains active, prompting UMG to respond with a request for dismissal.
READ ALSO: Drake sues Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar diss track “Not Like Us”
On Thursday, January 23, 2025, UMG submitted a 144-page motion citing the Texas Citizens Participation Act (TCPA), a statute that protects individuals and entities from retaliatory lawsuits aimed at silencing them on matters of public concern. UMG argued that Drake’s petition, filed under Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 202, is an attempt to intimidate and penalize the company for exercising its First Amendment rights.
According to UMG’s motion, the burden of proof under the TCPA now falls on Drake, who must provide clear and compelling evidence to back his claims. One of the central allegations in Drake’s petition is that UMG engaged in a “pay-to-play scheme” by funneling payments to iHeartMedia, the coutry’s largest radio network, to promote Lamar’s track.
UMG contends that Drake has failed to meet this evidentiary burden. The motion asserts that his petition is based solely on unverified claims, with no admissible evidence presented to substantiate the allegations. UMG specifically critiques Drake’s reliance on unnamed and unidentified declarants, labeling their statements as inadmissible hearsay.
Concluding its filing, UMG made a request for the court to dismiss Drake’s petition, suspend all discovery until a ruling is made, and require Drake to pay the company’s attorney’s fees and legal costs.
However, Drake’s attorney on Thursday submitted a letter in a New York case agreeing to UMG’s request for an extension to respond to his complaint. This move anticipates UMG filing a motion to dismiss that case as well.
The legal battle was on the heels of a broader feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, which reignited in early 2024 following Lamar’s incendiary verse on Future and Metro Boomin’s track “Like That.” The rivalry escalated into a series of diss tracks, including Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” which became a chart-topping hit and the focal point of Drake’s allegations against UMG.
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