Drake continues his fiery wrath against the Universal Music Group, as he has now filed a second significant legal action against the music corporation over Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.” The music artist inculpated them of defamation, claiming it could have prevented the release of a song “falsely accusing him of being a sex offender.”
Drake Has Named Radio Giant iHeartRadio in the Filing
A day after filing a lawsuit in New York accusing UMG of illegally boosting Lamar’s track on Spotify, Drake’s company, she brought similar claims in Texas court regarding radio giant iHeartRadio.
The new Filing, submitted late Monday and made public on Tuesday, alleges that UMG potentially “funneled payments” to iHeart as part of a “pay-to-play scheme” to promote the song on the radio.
The Filing Shares Drake’s Resentment Towards the Universal Music Group
The Filing also provides new insights about Drake’s grievances toward UMG, the label he has been with throughout his career. It states that UMG knew that Kendrick’s song “falsely” accused him of being a “certified pedophile” and “predator” but decided to release it anyway.
“UMG … could have refused to release or distribute the song or required the offending material to be edited and removed,” Drake’s lawyers write per Billboard.
They added, “But UMG chose to do the opposite. UMG designed, financed, and then executed a plan to turn ‘Not Like Us’ into a viral mega-hit to use the spectacle of harm to Drake and his businesses to drive consumer hysteria and massive revenues. That plan succeeded, likely beyond UMG’s wildest expectations.”
Similar to the New York filing on Monday, the new petition is not yet a lawsuit. Instead, it is termed a pre-action filing aimed at taking depositions from critical figures at UMG and iHeart to gather more information to support Drake’s claims in a future lawsuit.
The hip-hop star’s lawyers state they already have enough evidence to pursue a “claim for defamation” against UMG. Still, based on what they learn from the depositions, they may also add claims of civil fraud and racketeering.
Universal Music Group’s Response To Drake’s Filing
Universal Music Group responded to Drake’s first petition: “The suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue.”
The company added, “We employ the highest ethical practices in marketing and promotional campaigns. No amount of contrived and absurd legal arguments in this pre-action submission can mask the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear.”
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