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UMG Boss Lucian Grainge Wants Court To Dismiss Him From Lil Rod’s Diddy Lawsuit

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The lawsuit against Diddy from Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, the producer accusing him of sexual assault and sex trafficking, doesn’t just include allegations against the Bad Boy mogul. Moreover, two big record companies appeared as defendants in this suit due to alleged liability reasons: Motown and Universal Music Group (UMG), plus a notable individual. This is the head of the latter organization, Sir Lucian Grainge, who reportedly requested the court via his legal team (which is also acting on behalf of these companies) for dismissal from the case altogether. Attorneys for all three parties, referred to as “the UMG Defendants,” reportedly filed a motion for this dismissal on Wednesday (April 24) and asked a New York judge to throw out all claims concerning them with prejudice, according to court documents reportedly obtained by journalist Meghann Cuniff.

“All of the claims against Grainge, Motown and UMG Recordings (the ‘UMG Defendants’) in the [second amended complaint] are lacking in any legally cognizable basis,” lawyers supposedly argued in court docs concerning the Diddy case. “Every claim [premises] on the untenable strict liability theory that when one enters into a commercial contract, the payor under that contract becomes liable for anything that the recipient of payment does with the payment.

Read More: 50 Cent Endorses Gucci Mane’s Diddy Diss: “That’s What You Get!”

Diddy At Invest Fest 2023

Diddy Lawsuit Rodney Jones Lucian Grainge UMG Dismiss Hip Hop News
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – AUGUST 26: Sean “Diddy” Combs attends Day 1 of 2023 Invest Fest at Georgia World Congress Center on August 26, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

“There is no law underpinning such theory and the baseless ‘general business partnership’ allegation in the [second amended complaint] provides no support,” the legal team reportedly continued in their argument in dismissal from the Diddy case. “The claims against the UMG Defendants are entirely bereft of legal merit and should be dismissed with prejudice.” Lil Rod’s lawsuit claims that Lucian Grainge helped Sean Combs engage in his crimes, which Grainge’s attorneys allegedly denied outright. “Plaintiff and his counsel (Blackburn) have blown up a $50,000 claim for underpayment for production services into criminal accusations against Sean Combs and his associates,” they reportedly expressed.

“Not content to pursue Combs alone, without any factual or legal basis, Plaintiff and his counsel (Blackburn) have also improperly accused Grainge, UMG Recordings and Motown (collectively, the UMG Defendants) of furthering, participating in, and helping to conceal the alleged conduct of Combs and his associates based on a knowingly false ‘general business partnership’ allegation coupled with the fabrication of a non-existent duty to supervise and control how Combs spent his own money,” they concluded. Regardless, for more news and the latest updates on the Diddy case, log back into HNHH.

Read More: Kanye West Poses With Lucian Grainge In Resurfaced Pic Amid His “Rich Baby Daddy” Drake Criticism

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Kanye West Roasts Drake’s UMG Label Deal On Alleged “Like That” Remix Leak

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If you thought that Kanye West was going to sit idly by as the mainstream rap world goes up in flames… you may or may not be mistaken. It’s still a tough and unconfirmed call, but thanks to Adam22 and a whole lot of leaks through social media pages, it seems like Ye’s got a remix to “Like That” by Metro Boomin, Future, and Kendrick Lamar, plus some Ty Dolla $ign vocals, too. “Like That” is the song that fully blew the lid off a civil war between this trio (now alleged quintet including Rick Ross, plus many other supposed players like The Weeknd and A$AP Rocky) against Drake and… DJ Akademiks, we suppose? It really is looking like a 20v1 right now, something that Drizzy’s been able to turn in his favor.

Moreover, this alleged “Like That” remix (which Adam22 incited rumors of even further just yesterday) includes a supposed Ye verse, apparently a new Future verse, and seemingly no appearance from Kendrick Lamar, which is a very interesting omission. But that’s for another time. Here’s what the Chicago artist allegedly had to say about Drake and J. Cole, who caught a stray despite his retreat earlier in April: “Y’all so out of sight, out of mind / I can’t even think of a Drake line / Play J. Cole, get the p***y dry.” The “leaked” remix also had this set of bars, which seems to be the most interesting point of discussion for fans right now: “Where’s Lucian? Serve your master, n***a / Caught a little bag for your masters, didn’t ya? / Lifetime deal, I feel bad for n***as.”

Read More: DJ Akademiks Thinks Drake’s New Kendrick Lamar Diss (Almost) Seals The Deal

Kanye West Takes Aim At Drake’s $400 Million UMG Deal On Supposed “Like That” Verse: Listen

Furthermore, for those unaware, Drake signed a deal with UMG (Universal Music Group, the biggest music company in the world whose CEO is Sir Lucian Grainge) with a reported $400 million value. Ye, who is no stranger to an elusive billionaire status due to his controversies, allegedly called this a “little bag” and, if this is real, seems to be clowning him for being a puppet of UMG during the VULTURES 1 artist’s current independent stretch. It’s also worth noting that Rick Ross, one of the Toronto superstar’s opponents right now, called cap on theories that this massive deal gets the OVO mogul kickback from all of his rivals’ publishing if they’re signed to UMG or to Gamma. Since that’s just as speculative as these new claims, we doubt that we’ll ever get a clear answer on any of this money talk.

Ye’s Alleged Verse & Beat Remix In CDQ

Of course, given just how relentless The Boy has been with his clap-backs at everyone who doesn’t trust him anymore, we’re sure that his former inspiration and on-and-off-again nemesis will catch some heat very soon. This is also very interesting because of the “PROBLEMATIC” MC’s previous stance on this beef, claiming that he washed both Mr. Morale and the Certified Lover Boy in the past. If this leaked “Like That” remix is actually real, then something caused a change of heart. Still, everyone’s waiting on what the Compton creative will do more than anything. For the latest news and more updates on this alleged Kanye West leak and this whole battle, come back to HNHH.

Read More: Kanye West Battery Assault: Ye Allegedly Hit The Wrong Twin After Sexual Assault Accusation

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Diddy Allegations: UMG Wants Out Of Sexual Assault Lawsuit

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In November of last year, Diddy was hit with yet another lawsuit for alleged sexual assault, this time from a woman named Liza Gardner. Gardner claims she met the Bad Boy Records founder and Aaron Hall at an event in the 90s. At the time, she says she was only 16 years old. She alleges that the duo began buying her drinks before inviting her back to Hall’s apartment. Upon arrival, she alleges that they sexually assaulted her and her friend, also pressuring them to drink more alcohol. Days later, she accuses Diddy of showing up at her house, “assaulting and choking” her.

Diddy, Hall, and Universal Music Group are listed as defendants in the suit, but now, UMG wants out. The music corporation filed a motion to dismiss in a New York court on Thursday (April 11), arguing that Gardner failed to provide sufficient evidence linking UMG to the alleged rape. According to them, the incident had “nothing to do with UMGR.”

Read More: Ryan Garcia Sends Haymakers At Kanye West For Allegedly Refusing To Walk Him Out Over “No Diddy” Tweet

UMG Claims Liza Gardner’s Alleged Rape Had “Nothing To Do” With Them

Diddy Allegations: UMG Wants Out Of Sexual Assault Lawsuit
(Photo by Rich Polk/Getty Images for Essence)

“The Complaint’s allegations, if true, are certainly disturbing,” the motion reads, also claiming that Gardner has no “factual support connecting UMGR to the alleged assaults.” UMG additionally argues that her lawsuit should have been filed under the Child Victims Act (CVA) instead of the Adult Survivors Act (ASA), as she claims to have been 16 at the time of the incident.

“Plaintiff makes no allegation supporting vicarious liability for battery or assault (nor could she),” the motion continues. “Plaintiff’s NIED claim also fails because she has not alleged any duty owed to her by UMGR, and nowhere in Plaintiff’s Complaint does she allege that UMGR’s conduct was extreme and outrageous, as she is required to do as a matter of legal sufficiency.” What do you think of Universal Music Group asking to be dismissed from Liza Gardner’s lawsuit against Diddy? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.

Read More: Lil Rod Claims He’s Got Diddy On Tape Admitting To Crimes

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UMG Rebuffed Lil Rod’s Diddy Lawsuit In A Fiery Response Calling His Claims ‘A Delusion Or A Lie’

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Universal Music Group would have had enough legal drama to deal with from its row with TikTok over streaming royalties. Unfortunately for Sir Lucian Grainge (CEO of UMG), the company now finds itself drawn into the legal ruckus between Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones and Sean “Diddy” Combs.

In Jones’ controversial sexual harassment suit against Combs, he’s alleged that the music mogul’s supposed transgressions have involved a number of celebrities and fellow recording industry higher-ups, including Grainge, Usher, Yung Miami, and even the UK’s Prince Harry. However, in a new court filing UMG blasted Jones and his accusations as its lawyers argued for UMG to be dismissed from the ongoing suit. In addition, UMG wants legal penalties levied against attorney Tyrone Blackburn, who filed Jones’ lawsuit.

In the new filing, which was shared on Twitter by legal affairs journalist Meghann Cuniff and reported by Billboard, Universal’s attorney Donald Zakarin writes:

“A license to practice law is a privilege. Mr. Blackburn, plaintiff’s lawyer, has misused that license to self-promote, gratuitously, falsely and recklessly accusing the UMG defendants of criminal behavior… The [complaint] hurls accusations of criminal racketeering and criminal sex trafficking against the UMG defendants, respected individuals and companies having utterly nothing to do with plaintiff’s claims. These accusations are recklessly false and, but for the fact that they are embodied in a complaint, would be libelous.

…I have never seen any lawyer, in any pleading, in any court, accuse people and companies of criminal conduct without the slightest basis and then try to file an amended pleading completely jettisoning every allegation underpinning the original claims and substituting completely different and irreconcilable allegations to support the very same claims.”

The response refutes claims that Grainge has ever been to one of Diddy’s supposed “freak parties,” and points out that the only UMG entity with dealings with Combs was Motown, to distribute one album, The Love Album: Off The Grid. You can see the filing in part below:

Why Does TikTok Still Have Ariana Grande and Other Universal Music Artists Even Though There’s a Standoff With the Label?

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black content creators

If you or your kids use TikTok, don’t feel bad because pretty much every social media user does; then you may have noticed a lack of certain music from your favorite artists on the platform. There’s a standoff regarding royalty payments and AI policies. Variety reports that it has “resulted in a near-complete blackout of all music owned, distributed, and published by the company on the platform.” Now get this: the videos are still on and popping on the platform, but the actual music is being muted – yikes.

Now it gets murky because new songs from UMG artists, like stars Ariana Grande, Camila Cabello, and Niall Horan, can still be discovered on TikTok as of yesterday, but what is the reason is the real question? Variety didn’t have any comment from reps at UMG and TikTok, who both declined.

So, if you don’t know how the whole music on TikTok thing works, it goes like this, as Variety reports: Rights-holders, such as record labels, are not the only way music can be uploaded onto TikTok. Pretty much anyone uploads music and displays it as “original sound” on a user’s post. Then, said sound can be used by virtually anyone on TikTok, including artists. Once that music is on the platform, the rights-holders lose control over the content, and all they can do is send off takedown notices and other notifications via legal means. So it falls on TikTok to follow through by detecting, policing and muting the unauthorized music floating around on its platform. Are you exhausted from that rundown? We are. 

Even though reps from the label declined to comment to Variety, UMG spoke on the situation broadly. They’re, in essence, directing fault to TikTok’s detection software. They dropped a letter to artists breaking down the ban. “TikTok makes little effort to deal with the vast amounts of content on its platform that infringe our artists’ music and it has offered no meaningful solutions to the rising tide of content adjacency issues, let alone the tidal wave of hate speech, bigotry, bullying and harassment on the platform,” from an excerpt of the letter. “The only means available to seek the removal of infringing or problematic content (such as pornographic deepfakes of artists) is through the monumentally cumbersome and inefficient process which equates to the digital equivalent of ‘Whack-a-Mole.’ … We will always fight for our artists and songwriters and stand up for the creative and commercial value of music.” It seems like this is not going to end soon.

The post Why Does TikTok Still Have Ariana Grande and Other Universal Music Artists Even Though There’s a Standoff With the Label? first appeared on The Source.

The post Why Does TikTok Still Have Ariana Grande and Other Universal Music Artists Even Though There’s a Standoff With the Label? appeared first on The Source.

Metro Boomin Celebrates Universal Music Group’s TikTok Departure

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In a surprising turn of events, renowned producer Metro Boomin has expressed his relief over the recent decision by Universal Music Group (UMG) to sever ties with TikTok. The news, which surfaced on Tuesday (January 30), revealed a disagreement leading to the removal of UMG’s entire catalog from the popular social media platform. Reacting to the announcement, one Twitter user noted, “Wow, just like that, the TikTok era of music is over.” Metro Boomin stumbled upon the tweet and responded with a GIF featuring LeBron James exclaiming, “It’s About Damn Time,” a sentiment shared by many in the music industry.

Furthermore, taking the opportunity to elaborate on his perspective, Metro Boomin later posted his thoughts on the matter. “I love the creativity and appreciation the kids show for the music on TikTok, but I don’t like the forced pandering from artists and labels that results in these lifeless and soulless records,” he expressed. The producer’s candid remarks shed light on the dichotomy within the music industry’s relationship with TikTok. While acknowledging the platform’s ability to showcase creativity and generate appreciation for music among younger audiences, Metro Boomin highlighted his disdain. He perceives the artificial and insincere approach by some artists and labels in creating content specifically tailored for TikTok.

Read More: Metro Boomin 7 Best Beats

Metro Boomin Is Not A Fan Of TikTok Era Of Music

Furthermore, the decision by UMG to part ways with TikTok has sparked conversations. People are debating about the evolving dynamics between the music industry and social media platforms. Metro Boomin’s perspective adds a valuable voice to the ongoing discourse. Emphasizing the delicate balance between authentic artistic expression and strategic marketing efforts in the digital age.

Moreover, as the TikTok era undergoes a transformation with major players like UMG stepping back, it remains to be seen how this shift will impact the music landscape and the creative freedom of artists. Metro Boomin’s candid take serves as a glimpse into the complexities of navigating the intersection of artistry and digital platforms. Urging for a more genuine and soulful approach in the creation of musical content for the next generation. What are your thoughts on this situation? Let us know on HNHH!

Read More: Metro Boomin Shows Gratitude To Billboard

The post Metro Boomin Celebrates Universal Music Group’s TikTok Departure appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Muni Long Calls Out UMG As It Removes Music From TikTok

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Earlier this week, Universal Music Group threatened to pull its artists’ music from TikTok. Reportedly, this is all over a contract dispute, and Muni Long isn’t having it. The performer took to social media today to weigh in on the debacle, making it clear that she’d prefer for her music to stay on the platform. “I mean it’s not like they are refusing to support my music until I prove that it’s valuable by investing my own money and maybe possibly lucking up on a hot TikTok trend or anything like that,” she captioned a clip of herself, looking undoubtedly fed up.

“Universal Music Group said,” text in the clip also reads alongside the audio, “That song. Y’all know which one I’m talking about. Wrap it up by the weekend.” Unfortunately, the platform wasn’t able to reach an agreement with UMG. The company demanded fair compensation for artists, “protecting human artists from the harmful effects of AI,” and more.

Read More: Muni Long Net Worth 2023: What Is The Singer Worth?

Muni Long Shares Her Thoughts On UMG’s TikTok Takedowns

@munilong

My therapist not answering again 😵‍💫

♬ original sound – jay

TikTok shared a statement in response, accusing UMG of being greedy, and putting their needs ahead of those of artists and their fans. “It is sad and disappointing that Universal Music Group has put their own greed above the interests of their artists and songwriters,” the statement reads. “Despite Universal’s false narrative and rhetoric, the fact is they have chosen to walk away from the powerful support of a platform with well over a billion users that serves as a free promotional and discovery vehicle for their talent.”

It continued, “TikTok has been able to reach ‘artist-first’ agreements with every other label and publisher. Clearly, Universal’s self-serving actions are not in the best interests of artists, songwriters and fans.” What do you think of Muni Long weighing in on UMG removing several of its artists’ songs from TikTok? Do you agree with her? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.

Read More: TikTok Calls UMG Greedy Amid Its Plans To Pull Music Over Contract Dispute

[Via]

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Is TikTok Removing Music?

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Let’s cut to the chase: Yes, TikTok has removed a ton of music from its platform. If you haven’t heard, the licensing agreement between TikTok and Universal Music Group expired yesterday, and as a result, all UMG artists‘ music must be removed or TikTok could face legal action for copyright infringement. That means artists like Taylor Swift, Drake, The Weeknd, Ariana Grande, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, and many, many, MANY more have been nixed, and no one is quite sure when or if they’ll be back, because UMG is adamant that TikTok hasn’t been negotiating in good faith.

Why Did UMG Remove Its Artists From TikTok?

Long story short, UMG’s leadership doesn’t feel that TikTok is offering fair market value for its artists. UMG also argues that while TikTok is building its own music platform, TikTok Music, and working on AI tools that may help users imitate real-life artists, it’s also undermining the value of any new licensing agreement, since the app could soon be flooded with more songs like AI-generated Drake song “Heart On My Sleeve.” This has been a pain point for the entire recording industry as these tools proliferate and possibly endanger fans’ interest in waiting for (and buying) the real artists’ actual songs.

In an open letter published on the company’s website on Tuesday (January 30), UMG wrote:

TikTok is trying to build a music-based business, without paying fair value for the music.

On AI, TikTok is allowing the platform to be flooded with AI-generated recordings—as well as developing tools to enable, promote and encourage AI music creation on the platform itself – and then demanding a contractual right which would allow this content to massively dilute the royalty pool for human artists, in a move that is nothing short of sponsoring artist replacement by AI.

Further, TikTok makes little effort to deal with the vast amounts of content on its platform that infringe our artists’ music and it has offered no meaningful solutions to the rising tide of content adjacency issues, let alone the tidal wave of hate speech, bigotry, bullying and harassment on the platform. The only means available to seek the removal of infringing or problematic content (such as pornographic deepfakes of artists) is through the monumentally cumbersome and inefficient process which equates to the digital equivalent of “Whack-a-Mole.”

While TikTok denied these accusations in a statement sent to Billboard, it also doesn’t appear that either company has any intentions to budge for the foreseeable future.

Why Aren’t Drake’s Songs On TikTok?

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Millions of people have developed the subconscious habit to open TikTok first thing in the morning, and if that’s you, you might notice that TikTok sounds different today, February 1: Drake is among many artists whose catalogs are no longer available under the “Sounds” tab to soundtrack a TikTok.

Here’s why.

Why Aren’t Drake’s Songs On TikTok?

In short, Universal Music Group (UMG) wasn’t bluffing. On Tuesday, January 30, UMG posted an open letter to address its expiring contract with TikTok.

“In our contract renewal discussions, we have been pressing them on three critical issues — appropriate compensation for our artists and songwriters, protecting human artists from the harmful effects of AI, and online safety for TikTok’s users,” it reads, in part. UMG additionally relayed that “TikTok attempted to bully us into accepting a deal worth less than the previous deal” during negotiations, leading to UMG no longer licensing UMG artists’ catalogs to TikTok.

UMG is one of the most vast label umbrellas in music. So, while Drake is signed to Republic Records, Republic falls under the UMG umbrella. Therefore, Drake’s music was stripped from TikTok.

TikTok released its own (much shorter) statement on Tuesday, as seen below:

“It is sad and disappointing that Universal Music Group has put their own greed above the interests of their artists and songwriters.

Despite Universal’s false narrative and rhetoric, the fact is they have chosen to walk away from the powerful support of a platform with well over a billion users that serves as a free promotional and discovery vehicle for their talent.

TikTok has been able to reach ‘artist-first’ agreements with every other label and publisher. Clearly, Universal’s self-serving actions are not in the best interests of artists, songwriters and fans.”

Goodbye Taylor Swift, Drake, Billie Eilish, And So On: UMG Has Officially Removed Its Artists’ Music From TikTok

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It happened: Universal Music Group has removed its artists’ songs from TikTok. As of today (February 1), official songs from artists signed to UMG labels no longer appear under the “Sounds” tab on the TikTok app, and previously published videos that featured those songs now have muted audio.

Impacted artists include Taylor Swift, Drake, The Weeknd, Bad Bunny, SZA, Olivia Rodrigo, Steve Lacy, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar, Harry Styles, Rosalía, Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Adele, U2, Elton John, J Balvin, Pearl Jam, Bob Dylan, Post Malone, and many others.

TikTok and UMG had a licensing agreement that expired yesterday (January 31), and the day before it did, there were clear indications that negotiations on a new contract were not going well.

UMG shared an open letter about the situation, which read in part:

“As our negotiations continued, TikTok attempted to bully us into accepting a deal worth less than the previous deal, far less than fair market value and not reflective of their exponential growth. How did it try to intimidate us? By selectively removing the music of certain of our developing artists, while keeping on the platform our audience-driving global stars.

TikTok’s tactics are obvious: use its platform power to hurt vulnerable artists and try to intimidate us into conceding to a bad deal that undervalues music and shortchanges artists and songwriters as well as their fans.

We will never do that.”

TikTok then shared a response that reads in full:

“It is sad and disappointing that Universal Music Group has put their own greed above the interests of their artists and songwriters.

Despite Universal’s false narrative and rhetoric, the fact is they have chosen to walk away from the powerful support of a platform with well over a billion users that serves as a free promotional and discovery vehicle for their talent.

TikTok has been able to reach ‘artist-first’ agreements with every other label and publisher. Clearly, Universal’s self-serving actions are not in the best interests of artists, songwriters and fans.”

At the moment, it’s not clear when or if a new licensing agreement between TikTok and UMG will be reached, and when/if the artists’ music will return to TikTok.