Universal Music Group Issues Statement To Drake's Defamation Lawsuit

Universal Music Group has issued a statement in response to Drake suing the music giant for defamation. “Not only are these claims untrue, but the notion that we would seek to harm the reputation of any artist let alone Drake is illogical,” UMG said in a statement “We have invested massively in his music and our employees around the world have worked tirelessly for many years to help him achieve historic commercial and personal financial success. “Throughout his career, Drake has intentionally and successfully used UMG to distribute his music and poetry to engage in conventionally outrageous back-and-forth ‘rap battles’ to express his feelings about other artists. He now seeks to weaponize the legal process to silence an artist’s creative expression and to seek damages from UMG for distributing that artist’s music. “We have not and do not engage in defamation against any individual. At the same time, we will vigorously defend this litigation to protect our people and our reputation, as well as any artist who might directly or indirectly become a frivolous litigation target for having done nothing more that write a song. The case was filed in New York City federal court Wednesday morning (Jan. 15), accusing UMG of spreading “false and malicious narrative the suit addresses Universal releasing and promoting Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.” The suit claims the label was well aware of Lamar’s lyrics, images in the music video, and how allegations of Drake being a pedophile were both false and dangerous. The lawsuit called “Not Like Us” a “gold mine” for the label, built on “inflammatory and shocking allegations.” But why? Drake believes that UMG operated against his brand to impact future contract negotiations. The suit doubles down in bot usage, stating the company used bot receipts to increase the streams by at least 30 million. Additionally, the suit accuses UMG of participating in “pay for play” with a radio promotion company. The suit states UMG called the song a “chart-topper,” but the data behind it was fraudulent. Drake also highlights the upcoming Super Bowl performance, stating the label helped Lamar get the job to diss him at “one of the most significant (and viewed) cultural events of the year. But what about Kendrick specifically? The lawsuit highlights: “This lawsuit is not about the artist who created ‘Not Like Us.’ It is, instead, entirely about UMG, the music company that decided to publish, promote, exploit, and monetize.

SOURCE