It’s been a difficult year for Drake. The Toronto rapper went head-to-head with Kendrick Lamar in a viral rap battle, and according to most, lost. Earlier this month, Kendrick unleashed his new album GNX by surprise too. It’s been a major success, prompting big reactions from internet trolls. Just a few days after the unexpected drop, Drake also decided to take legal action against Universal Music Group (UMG) over Kendrick’s hit diss track “Not Like Us.”
He accuses the label and Spotify of manipulating streams through botting and influencers. He also alleges that UMG could have stopped the song from being released. In turn, this would have prevented the spread of allegations that he’s a predator. Of course, he’s been getting clowned for this as well, though some think there’s a chance he could make a serious change in the music industry. Regardless, social media users can be ruthless, especially when it comes to Drake these days.
Luckily, however, it doesn’t look like Drake has let all of this get him down too much. In a new clip shared by Akademiks TV on X, he’s seen smiling and laughing at a club with some friends. He appeared to be in shockingly good spirits despite everything going on, and his supporters are glad to see it. While this indicates that Drake isn’t completely hung up on the drama, it seems like he’s at least a bit tuned in. Earlier today, for example, one Instagram user shared a post asking followers whether or not Drake could win the legal battle with UMG and “declare war on the music industry.”
Timbaland responded with a GIF of someone shaking their head, suggesting that he’s not entirely convinced this is possible. Internet sleuths then quickly realized that Drake unfollowed Timbaland, meaning he could have taken offense to his comment.
Drake caused a massive uproar thanks to his legal petition against Universal Music Group and Spotify for their alleged artificial inflation of “Not Like Us” in terms of sales. The news even hit mainstream media, and CNN recently asked journalist Sowmya Krishnamurthy about the whole endeavor. Specifically, they went over Drizzy’s claim that Apple’s Siri would play “Not Like Us” when asked about Certified Lover Boy, which became one of the more viral tech-related stories from the Kendrick Lamar battle. Krishnamurthy explained that there are multiple nuanced reasons as to why this occurred for some people that deserve an explanation.
“So I’m going to be honest,” Sowmya Krishnamurthy explained concerning the Drake and Kendrick Lamar situation. “I actually did the test during this time, and it did work. When you said, ‘Hey Siri, play Certified Lover Boy,’ it did play ‘Not Like Us.’ It did, yes. I actually posted a video on my YouTube and social media. But I think we all knew that it was pulling from the lyrics. So I think Apple could have an argument that people were searching for that song, or that’s what their algorithm was kicking up. Because it is not just titles, but also lyrics. So there’s a little bit of nuance there.”
Journalist Breaks Down Drake’s Petition Over Kendrick Lamar’s Diss Track
Journalist Sowmya Krishnamurthy on CNN admits that when you would ask Siri to play the drake song certified lover boy it would play the Kendrick Lamar song not like us pic.twitter.com/0VkyuxKfVf
“Yeah, that’s what a lot of industry insiders are saying,” Sowmya Krishnamurthy replied when asked about whether it’s plausible that Drake could’ve benefitted from the same alleged practices that Kendrick Lamar allegedly benefitted from. “For the entirety of his career, Drake really has enjoyed this privilege. Being an industry darling, being the most streamed artist on Spotify for hip-hop. Even now, like, the last time I checked, his monthly uniques on Spotify are more than Kendrick. If we go back to 2018, there was a huge campaign where every single Spotify playlist was Drake. Whether it was hip-hop, pop, country, gospel. So these campaigns by these streaming services or companies, they’re not uncommon. But the question is, is Drake now bitter or whining because he’s not the beneficiary?”
“I think a lot,” Sowmya Krishnamurthy answered a question about how much this hurts Drake’s credibility. “You know, it’s one thing to lose a rap battle… [shake] the hand of your adversary and say, ‘Hey, good game.’ I think that’s good sportsmanship. But this, to me, just really seems like whining. It seems like when things don’t go as well. I think you alluded to this earlier. It has that very much ‘Stop the steal’ energy. That doesn’t do too well in hip-hop.”
Earlier this week, Drake decided to take legal action against Universal Music Group (UMG) over Kendrick Lamar’s hit diss track, “Not Like Us.” In a pre-action filing, he accuses the label and Spotify of manipulating streams through botting and influencers. He also alleges that UMG could have prevented the release of the song, on which Kendrick accuses him of being a sexual predator.
Unsurprisingly, this has earned big reactions from social media users and fans. While many are clowning Drake, and accusing him of being jealous of Kendrick, others believe he’s totally in the right. Some even think that Drake could end up looking like a hero for exposing alleged corruption in the music industry. This includes Funkmaster Flex, who took to X recently to share his take on the situation.
Dec 1, 2021; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Rapper, singer and actor Drake watches the Oklahoma City Thunder take on the Houston Rockets during the second half of an Oklahoma City Thunder game at Paycom Center. Alonzo Adams / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
“DRAKE IS 100% RIGHT!” he wrote in part. “NATIONAL PLAY! (PER SONG) DRAKE DONT $ FOR PLAY! POP / CHR RADIO: $350k URBAN RADIO: $250K MIXSHOW: $100K LOCAL MIXSHOW DIRECTOR: $40k LOCAL DJ: $3K-5K PER SONG! (DJS ON THE RADIO 5 DAYS A WEEK) THIS IS WHY INDEPENDENT ARTIST DONT RISE TO THE TOP! ALL YOU ARTIST KNOW I AINT NEVER TAKE A DIME FROM YOU, YOUR MANAGER OR YOUR LABELS!” Now, DJ Akademiks has weighed in on all of this on stream, arguing that Drake seems somewhat out of touch with marketing.
“On every big song money is spent,” he alleged. “It is what it is. So me, I kind of see a nuanced perspective. Like, did Kendrick bot? Of course, in my opinion, of course it was some botting. Is that the only reason the song was hot? F*ck no, people really like it.”
It’s no secret that it’s been a big year for Kendrick Lamar. The Compton hitmaker came out on top in his viral lyrical battle against Drake and found tremendous success with his diss tracks. He went on to host his “Pop Out” in Los Angeles alongside several of his celebrity peers. Earlier this month, he even dropped a new album with zero notice, which has quickly become a fan favorite.
GNXis projected to sell between 310K and 325K in its first week, exceeding fans’ initial expectations. Eight songs from the album are also expected to land in the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 song chart. “Squabble Up” could even potentially come in at No. 1. This isn’t the only work of his blowing up these days, however. Amid all of this, it looks like fans are also looking back on some of the music he released earlier this year. This includes his Drizzy diss track “Not Like Us.” According to Talk Of The Charts On X, it’s expected to see roughly a 440% increase in U.S. sales and a 20% increase in U.S. streams this week.
This timing doesn’t necessarily come as a surprise, but it certainly is interesting. On top of Kendrick’s GNX release bringing more attention to his discography as a whole, Drake recently took legal action against Universal Music Group (UMG) over the song. He accuses the label and Spotify of artificially boosting it and alleges that UMG could have prevented its release.
Of course, this has earned big reactions from fans and critics alike. Some think Drake really has a chance of looking like a hero by exposing alleged corruption in the music industry. Others claim this simply makes him look worse, and like he could just be jealous of the success of Kendrick’s new album.
Drake remains one of the highest streamed musicians in the world but still, “Not Like Us” allegedly damaged his career, according to two new pre-action petitions. Earlier this week, the rapper’s attorneys filed two separate court documents requesting for UMG to preserve evidence pertaining to the success of Kendrick Lamar’s hit record. The first case targeted UMG and Spotify with claims of violating RICO and manipulating streams through botting and influencers. The second filing calls out UMG and iHeartMedia on claims of defamation. Below, we’ve broken down both filings.
The petition outlines a strategy by UMG to artificially inflate the popularity of “Not Like Us.” This included using bots to generate fake streams, making undisclosed payments to Spotify for song promotion, and engaging in payola (illegal payments) to radio stations. Additionally, UMG reportedly paid influencers and social media platforms to promote the song without transparency about these financial arrangements.
A core issue is the “strategic partnership” between Spotify and UMG, which the petition describes as an effort to “amplify music discovery and social interaction and enhance fan experiences across the platform.” Moreover, the petition also claims that UMG, which entered a global license agreement with Spotify in 2020, charged the streaming service 30% less to license “Not Like Us” in exchange “for Spotify affirmatively recommending the Song to users who are searching for other unrelated songs and artists” without disclosing this information to the public.
The Debunked Theories
Drake used my video in his (pre action) lawsuit against UMG
I made a video showing that Siri was taking you to “Not Like Us” when you asked to play “certified lover boy” on Spotify. I later showed this was because of lyric recognition. But they didn’t include that part lol pic.twitter.com/tEZQCrVM0s
An interesting part about this document is that it points out several viral headlines since the song’s release. In one part, it alleged that Apple’s Siri redirected listeners who wanted to listen to Certified Lover Boy to Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” in which Kendrick uses Drake’s album title as a lyric, based on reporting by Jeremy Hecht and an article from Vibe Magazine.
“On information and believe, UMG paid, or approved payments to, Apple Inc. to have its voice-activated digital assistant ‘Siri’ purposely misdirect users to ‘Not Like Us.’ Online sources reported that when users asked Siri to play the album ‘Certified Loverboy’ by recording artist Aubrey Drake Graham d/b/a Drake, Siri instead played ‘Not Like Us,’ which contains the lyric ‘certified pedophile,’ an allegation against Drake,” the filing reads. While a hefty allegation, Hecht later clarified that Siri used lyric recognition.
Drake, through Frozen Moments, claims economic harm from UMG’s actions. The aggressive promotion of “Not Like Us” created a zero-sum scenario in the music industry, where one song’s success can hinder another artist’s opportunities. UMG’s alleged favoritism toward Kendrick Lamar directly impacted the visibility and profitability of Drake’s own music.
Frozen Moments also highlights UMG’s attempts to deflect blame. Instead of addressing Drake’s grievances, UMG suggested legal action against Lamar and threatened counterclaims if Drake pursued them. Moreover, the filing alleges that “UMG has been taking steps in an apparent effort to conceal its schemes, including, but not limited to, by terminating employees associated with or perceived as having loyalty to Drake.”
What Exactly Does Drake Want?
Mar 4, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Rap artist Drake celebrates a basket by the Toronto Raptors against the Portland Trail Blazers at Air Canada Centre. The Raptors beat the Trail Blazers 117-115. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports via Imagn
The petition is filed under New York law to request pre-action discovery, a process that allows evidence gathering before filing a formal lawsuit. Frozen Moments seeks to substantiate claims under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), alleging wire fraud and bribery, and under New York’s Deceptive Business Practices and False Advertising Acts. To build the case, the petition asks the court to compel UMG and Spotify to release documents, including records of payments to third parties for song promotion, information about bot usage for fake streams, and details of licensing agreements and financial arrangements between UMG and Spotify. Frozen Moments also seeks a court order requiring UMG and Spotify to preserve all related communications and documents. The concern is that critical evidence, such as social media messages and text communications, may be lost if not safeguarded during the legal process.
After news broke, UMG issued a statement to Variety regarding the “absurb” claims. “The suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue,” a rep said. “We employ the highest ethical practices in our 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.”
Drake Vs. UMG & iHeartMedia
The day after filing the petition in New York, Drake filed another legal petition against Universal Music Group in Texas, along with iHeartMedia, in Texas. This time, the Canadian star is accusing UMG of orchestrating a deceptive promotional campaign for Kendrick’s “Not Like Us” while simultaneously causing damages to Drake’s reputation and career. Under Texas Rule 202, Drake is attempting to, once again, gather substantial evidence before filing a formal lawsuit against the aforementioned parties. Let’s break down the second petition that Drake filed this week.
Defamation & Botting Claims
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-Imagn Images
The second filing echoes similar sentiments of streaming manipulation and payola. However, at the core of this petition is accusations of defamation. “Not Like Us,” which Drake claims includes defamatory language such as “certified pedophile” and labeling him a “predator,” was released under UMG’s watch. However, Drake believes that the label had the authority to either refuse the song’s release or at the very least, demand changes to the lyrics. The rapper claims that UMG, instead, chose to exploit the controversy for financial gain which, in turn, caused harm to his business. Drake’s petition also accuses UMG of manipulating platforms like Spotify and radio airwaves to falsely inflate the song’s popularity. This alleged manipulation includes the use of bots, undisclosed payments to influencers and platforms, and “payola”—a term referring to secret payments to radio stations to play certain songs, which is illegal under U.S. law.
The petition outlines several allegations against UMG and their alleged partnership with iHeartRadio. Similar to the New York filing, this petition details claims of an alleged manipulation scheme to enhance the popularity and streams of “Not Like Us” in an attempt to boost profits for UMG. These include using bots to artificially boost “Not Like Us” streaming numbers and citing an alleged whistleblower who they claimed received thousands of dollars to help the song garner over 30 million streams on Spotify in the days after its release. Moreover, Drake claims that UMG also paid influencers to promote the song without disclosing the financial relationship–a violation of advertising transparency laws.
Then, there are the claims of payola. Drake believes that UMG funneled payments to radio stations, specifically those under iHeartRadio, to make sure “Not Like Us” gained heavy radio play in the months after the feud. Legally speaking, this is an alleged violation of the Communications Act of 1934. This also goes hand-in-hand with the claims that UMG orchestrated an elaborate marketing campaign to use discretionary funds to pay unknown third parties to promote the song, inflate its metrics, and as a result, drive media attention.
As mentioned above, a primary focus point in this article is defamation. The filing suggests that UMG greenlit the song to streaming services and radio. Considering the language used in the song, Drake claims UMG did little to prevent the accusations of pedophilia from proliferating across official streaming services and radio. Even more, he believes it was done in an attempt to profit off of the controversy.
iHeartMedia’s Alleged Role
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 10: Rapper Drake attends day eight of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 10, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)
In regards to iHeartMedia, the largest audio media company in the U.S. that owns hundreds of radio stations, Drake’s petition hopes to put the company’s alleged role under the microscope. The petition suggests that iHeartMedia played a significant role in UMG’s campaign by promoting “Not Like Us” across their platforms. Because of this, Drake is hoping to uncover whether iHeartMedia accepted undisclosed payments from UMG in exchange for prioritizing the song on the airwaves.
Due to the song’s popularity and constant rotation, Drake’s legal team argues that iHeartMedia cooperated in amplifying the harm caused to his career. This petition also highlights the financial relationship between UMG and iHeartRadio. According to the court documents, iHeartMedia pays UMG licensing fees to play its artists’ songs. This allegedly gives UMG leverage in what music gets airtime. Because of this, Drake’s legal team wants to explore whether the financial dynamic allowed UMG to manipulate radio play for “Not Like Us.”
What Drake Hopes to Uncover
Drake’s petition asks the court to authorize depositions from representatives of UMG and iHeartMedia. He wants access to evidence of financial transactions, communications, and internal documents that could confirm the use of bots, payola, and undisclosed promotional payments. This includes records of payments made to influencers, radio stations, and social media platforms, evidence of bot usage to inflate streaming numbers; and details of licensing agreements and financial benefits exchanged between UMG and iHeartMedia. Additionally, Drake is requesting that UMG preserve all related communications and data out of concern that evidence might otherwise be destroyed or concealed.
This pre-action filing could put a spotlight on the transparency and fairness in the music industry, or the lack thereof. However, it all depends on whether the court determines that there is substance to these allegations. If the evidence supports Drake’s claims, Drake could pursue lawsuits against UMG, iHeartMedia, and Spotify. Still, this could also expose possible tactics that Drake used in his career, too. Whether or not Drake has also used bots and payola in his career remains unclear, though if it turns out to be the case, then there might be some sort of reevaluation of the streaming records that he’s broken. At the same time, this could effectively expose the alleged malpractices of the music industry as a whole. For better or for worse, Drake might be the catalyst to change industry practices indefinitely.
The media and the internet have been casting heavy aspersions on Drake since his two pre-action petition filings earlier this week. Both are in relation to UMG, Spotify, and Kendrick Lamar’s viral diss record, “Not Like Us.” The first of which is more of a legal barrage on the first two subjects for allegedly artificially inflating the streaming numbers of the song. In that same petition, he’s also accusing UMG (Universal Music Group) of going against the RICO Act, and using payola, bots and more to carry out their plan.
Then, there’s the defamation side of things, in which Drake claims that UMG could have and should have prevented the release of “Not Like Us.” The bars suggesting he’s a ped*phile he affirms are nowhere near true, therefore it should have shut down the track from seeing the light of day. While the direct criticism of Drake is apropos, radio host at Hot 97, Peter Rosenberg, feels some of that should go to the Canadian MC’s team as well. It’s reasonable to propose this, as they are the ones who have to speak on their client’s behalf in these types of scenarios.
Peter Rosenberg Is Echoing Most Of The Public’s Opinion On Drake’s Moves
Feb 1, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Recording artist/rapper Drake performs during the Revolt Party at the Time Warner Cable Studios. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports via Imagn Images
He shared his disappointment and comments with TMZ Hip Hop, and overall, he’s just in pure disbelief. His thoughts on the matter are nothing new, as people like Meek Mill and Shannon Sharpe for instance feel he should have just let it go. But he’s also feeling like Drake is just trying anything and everything and hoping something works in his favor.
Rosenberg was also highly critical of the “Taylor Made Freestyle” and also took issue with Drake pushing Kendrick Lamar’s buttons. Obviously, we all know how that went. Despite all of the head-scratching moves from the artist and his reps, Rosenberg thinks his defamation petition does have a chance of paying off. In that same breath though, he strongly believes doing that shortly after the release of “Not Like Us” would have made more sense. At this point, Drake’s reputation and image is serious question and it may take a while for it to go back to what it was.
Drake could attempt to stop Kendrick Lamar from performing his viral diss track, “Not Like Us,” at the upcoming Super Bowl Halftime Show. The move would have to come as an injunction along with his impending defamation lawsuit over the song against Universal Music Group. Monique, an attorney from the Givens & Larmond Law Group, explained the steps Drake would need to take in a video for The Shade Room.
“As us lawyers like to say, it depends,” she began. “What does it depend on? If Drake were to file an injunction, he may be able to stop Kendrick from performing the song that way; however, he would have to get the court to agree and grant the injunction. But, a lot of courts are reluctant to injunctions, especially that are related to defamation lawsuits, because they do not want to impede on our First Amendment rights, which is the right to free speech.”
Kendrick Lamar Performs “Not Like Us” During The Pop Out
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 19: Kendrick Lamar performs onstage during The Pop Out – Ken & Friends Presented by pgLang and Free Lunch at The Kia Forum on June 19, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Timothy Norris/Getty Images for pgLang, Amazon Music, & Free Lunch)
Drake filed his pre-action petitions in Manhattan and Texas court on Monday. In the first filing, he alleged that UMG and Spotify worked together to artificially boost the popularity of Kendrick Lamar’s viral diss track, “Not Like Us.” “UMG did not rely on chance, or even ordinary business practices,” lawyers for Drake wrote. “It instead launched a campaign to manipulate and saturate the streaming services and airwaves.” In the second filing, he accused them of defamation for not halting the release of “Not Like Us,” which he said contains various untrue allegations.
Drake’s Legal Action Explained
The NFL announced Lamar as the headliner for the halftime show, earlier this year. Seeing as “Not Like Us” has quickly become one of the biggest hits of Lamar’s career, fans are expecting him to perform the track during the game. Check out the full breakdown of Drake’s legal case below. Be on the lookout for further updates on HotNewHipHop.
No matter what Drake does now, people are going to pick him apart. Overall, this entire petition debacle surrounding Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” record, and UMG and Spotify just isn’t a good look. Given how clear cut the results were from the battle earlier this year, moving on and coming back with new music was probably his best option. But he has decided to go against that and instead try and disprove how popular the diss track is. Drake has filed two pre-action petitions since yesterday, with the first one revolving around what he believes is a violation of the RICO Act. He’s alleging that UMG and Spotify were working in tandem to artificially inflate the streams and traction of “Not Like Us” and its video.
But it didn’t stop there. Just a few hours ago, reports have come out revealing that Drake is also seeking damages over defamation. He believes that the track is essentially a grossly false, as it does label him as a ped*phile. Drake was hinting at a round two between him and K. Dot earlier this year. However, this is a pretty disappointing sequel to the original film we got to watch in real time.
But Drake’s team doesn’t seem to think so. In fact, his manager, Matte Babel, feels that this is just the beginning to what could be a scary series of events for Kendrick, UMG, Spotify, and whoever else. We say it that way because Babel is quoting some bars from Drake’s For All The Dogs Scary Hours Edition. He shared these lyrics, which read, “Everyone was good with me, then everyone expression faded / Tickin’ time bomb and they beggin’ me to detonate it.”
Babel also included these: “If I press this red button, dog, everybody Heaven Gated / Press this red button, dog, and everything forever changes.” So, yeah… if this is indeed the “red button” then Drake is in an even deeper hole. The trolls are already coming out in droves and tearing this “threat” from Babel to pieces. “A b**** n**** love b**** n****s, they exist with ’em in style,” one Twitter user writes. “Suing for defamation ain’t no red button dawg,” another adds. In totality, Drake is stuck between a rock and a hard place.
The Diddy situation has changed a lot of people’s perceptions about Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill. His alleged ties to the mogul have deteriorated his image and he’s become low-hanging fruit because of it. Anytime Meek has something to say about practically any topic, he gets weird looks/reactions in return. Overall, things have been rough on the “Going Bad” artist, which is also true for the song’s co-star. Drake is currently trying to prove once and for all that Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” song and video have never been as big as the numbers suggest. In fact, over the last 24 hours or so, he’s taking legal action to show that the hype and success of the record is all a hoax.
Drake’s preparing to go to court against Universal Music Group (who he’s a part of) and Spotify for allegedly using methods like payola and bots to boost streaming numbers. But as of just a few hours ago, we are also aware that he’s sent more legal papers to UMG for alleged defamation. This suit claims that the company could have halted “Not Like Us” from dropping, because of it “falsely accusing him of being a sex offender.”
Since these two bombshell reports have surfaced, the internet has not been giving him grace. Hip-hop figures, trolls, and sports media are all condemning Drake for this. They feel he should have just let it go, especially after the back-and-forth diss records. Meek Mill looks to be of that same belief, but he’s taking things a step further.
“But meek be tripping yeah Ard!” We could be reading too deep into it, but it sounds like he’s calling Drizzy wacky for these moves. This also couldn’t be a reaction to this at all, as he never really calls anyone out. However, given how inconsistent their relationship is and the timing of the tweet, it’s most likely an reaction to the latest news. Drake filed both pre-action petitions on Monday, with the defamation one happening later that day.
Drake has doubled down on his current legal dispute with Universal Music Group, accusing the label of defamation in a new filing. According to Billboard, after filing a pre-action petition accusing UMG of promoting Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” through underhanded means, Drake is now accusing his and Kendrick’s shared parent label (Drake licenses his music through Republic, while Kendrick licenses through Interscope, both subsidiaries of UMG) of defamation for not blocking the song’s release, because of the line(s) in which Kendrick accuses Drake of being a pedophile.
In the new filing, Drake’s attorneys (by way of Frozen Moments, LLC) claim UMG “could have refused to release or distribute the song or required the offending material to be edited and/or removed. 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 with the intent of using the spectacle of harm to Drake and his businesses to drive consumer hysteria and, of course, massive revenues. That plan succeeded, likely beyond UMG’s wildest expectations.”
While Drake has yet to file an actual lawsuit against Universal, these “pre-action” petitions ask the court to order UMG to turn over any records pertaining to the diss and its promotion ahead of any potential lawsuit. A judge will still need to review the paperwork to determine whether or not to grant this petition, although Drake’s legal team claims to have enough evidence to proceed with a lawsuit anyway. UMG has already denied the claims in a response of its own, saying through a representative, “The suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue. We employ the highest ethical practices in our 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.”
