There needs to be a channel to follow all the lawsuits and trials in Hip Hop. It’s A LOT going on … Universal Music Group (UMG) is seeking to have Drake’s pre-action petition dismissed in a Texas court, which accuses the label of secretly promoting Kendrick Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us” through payola. The Toronto rapper, signed to Republic Records, filed the petition in November, alleging that UMG orchestrated payments to radio stations to push the song onto the airwaves. However, UMG argues that Drake’s claims lack sufficient evidence and are protected under First Amendment rights. In court filings, UMG asserts, “Because [Drake’s] petition is related to and was filed in response to UMG’s protected free speech, and because [Drake] cannot meet the burden of establishing by clear and specific evidence that he is entitled to pre-suit discovery, the Court should dismiss [Drake’s] retaliatory legal action against UMG.”
Further addressing Drake’s claims, UMG contends that the rapper has failed to provide any substantial evidence to back up his allegations, describing his petition as unsupported. The filing states, “[Drake] provides nothing beyond his verified petition, which alone cannot serve as the evidentiary foundation for a petition. Even when reviewing the petition […] there is no evidentiary support for his claimed need for pre-suit deposition of UMG.” Additionally, UMG dismisses the accusations of payola as “hearsay” and “not admissible as evidence,” reiterating that Drake’s claims have no factual basis.
