UMG Label Drake Hypocrite Not Like Us Appeal Response

Nov 2, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Canadian recording artist Drake (center, black outfit) watches the action between the Sacramento Kings and Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Drake is still trying to revive his dismissed lawsuit against UMG for releasing the Kendrick Lamar diss track “Not Like Us.”

Drake is stirring up a storm ahead of his new album ICEMAN, as he continues to attempt to revive his lawsuit against his label, UMG, for releasing the Kendrick Lamar diss track “Not Like Us.” He believes they defamed him by dropping the song, but the label isn’t backing down in appellate court.

According to a Rolling Stone report from Nancy Dillon, the label argued in a new appellate brief yesterday (Friday, March 27) that this “astoundingly hypocritical” appeal over a previously dismissed suit lacks logic. They stood by United States District Judge Jeannette Vargas’ ruling last October, arguing that Drizzy is trying to “turn the law upside down” and willfully ignoring his own disses towards K.Dot.

Furthermore, UMG claimed that the Toronto superstar’s accusations do not accurately assess the context of rap beef that Kendrick’s allegations of pedophilia surfaced from. Therefore, they believe Judge Vargas was correct in labeling attacks from both sides as “non-actionable opinion.” The label also called it “nonsensical” for the OVO mogul to reference rap lyrics being used in criminal trials as precedent for this appeal. They called this assessment hypocritical due to his signing of a November 2022 petition blasting lawyers for using musical expression as legal facts.

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Drake’s UMG Lawsuit

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Jan 14, 2022; Miami, Florida, USA; Canadian rapper Drake attends the game between the Miami Heat and the Atlanta Hawks at FTX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports via Imagn Images

On the other hand, Drake’s argument against UMG rests on the idea that the track does provide factual assessment of its allegations and saw aggressive backing from the label. His legal team also argued that a dismissal could set a dangerous precedent for any accusations from an artist, and that a jury trial is necessary to prove the lyrics as true or false. Their next response in this appeals process is reportedly due by April 17.

We will see if this appeals process is victorious for The Boy or if he finds another brick wall in his way. In either outcome, this legal matter will continue to spark debate among hip-hop fans for the foreseeable future. It already experienced a dismissal, but a story like this doesn’t go away that easy. With Drake’s new album incoming any day now, we’ll see if lyrical responses emerge, too.