Drake is reportedly backing away from several key claims made against music conglomerate Universal Music Group in his ongoing lawsuit. This development could lead to a potential dismissal of the case.
In a letter to the court filed on (Feb. 21), UMG lawyer Rollin A. Ransom wrote that Drake has informed him and his legal team that he will drop allegations he initially included in the lawsuit against the company.
“[P]ursuant to separate correspondence, Plaintiff has agreed to withdraw certain key allegations in his complaint,” the filing reads. However, the exact claims the filing refers to are not specified.
Drake watches on as the Sacramento Kings play the Toronto Raptors during the second half of their basketball game at the Scotiabank Arena on November 2, 2024 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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Universal now has until March 17 to file a motion to dismiss the lawsuit entirely, which stems from Drake’s belief that UMG conspired to boost the popularity and success of Kendrick Lamar‘s hit single, “Not Like Us,” in an attempt to damage his brand.
According to the lawsuit, UMG “approved, published, and launched a campaign to create a viral hit out of a rap track that falsely accuses Drake of being a pedophile and calls for violent retribution against him.”
The rapper says this was done to negatively impact his leverage in potential renegotiations of his contract with UMG, whom the rapper has been signed under for the majority of his musical career.
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“UMG anticipated that extending Drake’s contract would be costly,” the original lawsuit reads. “By devaluing Drake’s music and brand, UMG would gain leverage to force Drake to sign a new deal on terms more favorable to UMG.”
The hitmaker accused UMG of participating in “unlawful” practices, such as paying for fake streams and radio airplay for “Not Like Us.”
Furthermore, he blamed the “violence and vitriol” he claims to have been subjected to in the wake of “Not Like Us” on Universal, as he says he was forced to pull his son, Adonis, out of elementary school, and move his mother out of Toronto due to “safety concerns.”
Rapper Drake and his son Adonis take in the Game Six of the Eastern Conference First Round between the Toronto Raptors and the Philadelphia 76ers at Scotiabank Arena on April 28, 2022 in Toronto, Canada.
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Released during his epic rap war with Kendrick Lamar, “Not Like Us” has become one of the biggest and most critically acclaimed hits in recent memory.
Topping the Billboard Hot 100 chart for several weeks, the song became the second rap song in history to win a GRAMMY Award for Song of the Year and Record of the Year, one of many honors the track has received over the last several months.
Drake recently returned to the top of the charts with Some Sexy Songs 4 U, his collaborative album with PARTYNEXTDOOR. The longplayer debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, unseating Kendrick’s own 2024 album, GNX, from the top position.
Kendrick Lamar, winner of the Record of the Year, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, Best Music Video, and Song of the Year Awards for “Not Like Us” poses in the press room during the 67th Annual GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 02, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
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