Drake's request to access sensitive Universal Music Group (UMG) documents has been granted after he accused the record label of defamation.
The artist is taking legal action after UMG allowed Kendrick Lamar's iconic diss track on him, 'Not Like Us', to be published and marketed, with claims that it spread the 'malicious narrative' that the Canadian rapper is a 'certified p***phile'.
As a result, Drake asked for information on salaries and bonuses for senior executives at the record label, as well as copies of Lamar's own contract.
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In a statement released by UMG on his claims, they called the claims 'untrue' and said that it was 'illogical' that they would want to tarnish his reputation after years of support and helping him 'achieve historic commercial and personal financial success.'
"He now seeks to weaponise the legal process to silence an artist's creative expression and to seek damages from [Universal] for distributing that artist's music," they added.
In case you forgot the controversial lyrics that are being zeroed in on, the lines in 'Not Like Us' go: "Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young,
"You better not ever go to cell block one...
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"To any b*tch that talk to him and they in love,
"Just make sure you hide your lil' sister from him...
"Certified Lover Boy? Certified p***philes...
"Tryna strike a chord and it's probably A minor," with another line suggesting that Drake and members of his team be 'placed on neighbourhood watch.'
After UMG asked for a pause in evidence-gathering, Drake's request to access sensitive documents was approved, as Judge Jeannette A Vargas announced on Wednesday that the process could continue.
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Drake's head lawyer, Michael Gottlieb, said in a statement to the BBC: "Now it's time to see what UMG was so desperately trying to hide."
A court filing read that Drake's team is looking for 'all contracts between UMG and Kendrick Lamar', back as far as 2020.
UMG initially objected the request of providing information that would be 'commercially sensitive' and costly, especially since the case may be dismissed in due course.
A hearing for the case to be dismissed is set for 30 June.
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Drake previously issued a statement via lawyers before Lamar's Super Bowl half-time performance, which included the 2024 song: "UMG is masquerading as a champion of artistic freedom by calling its actions merely ‘entertainment,’ but there is nothing entertaining about p***philia or child abuse in the real world.
"We are confident that the evidence we will ultimately present at trial—including information we’ve already learned and continue to receive since filing the lawsuit—will expose UMG’s gross prioritization of its own corporate profits and executive bonuses over its exclusively signed artists’ well-being and the truth,” the statement read.
History of the Drake-Kendrick beef
Drake and Lamar were once friends in the industry, collaborating on tracks such as 'Poetic Justice', 'F***in' Problems', and 'Buried Alive Interlude' in the past.
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But following a suggestion from J. Cole on Drake's 2023 song 'First Person Shooter Mode' - where Cole features - that, along with Lamar, they were the 'Big Three' of the rap industry. Lamar took offence and responded on Metro Boomin track 'Like That.'
He said: "Motherf*** the big three, it's just big me."
Drake would then respond with 'Push Ups' and 'Taylor Made Freestyle', while Lamar would fire back with 'Euphoria' and '6:16 in LA.'
The Canadian rapper then thought he'd won with 'Family Matters', only for Lamar to hit back with 'Not Like Us', where he made the p***phile allegations, and 'Meet the Grahams', a spooky track where he went after Drake's family.
Despite the legal battle, Lamar would perform during the Super Bowl half-time show, even looking into the camera when mentioning Drake in 'Not Like Us.'
Topics: Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Music, Celebrity, US News
Joshua Nair