Universal Music Group has fired back at Drake’s amended defamation lawsuit, labeling it a “frivolous and reckless” attempt to rewrite the outcome of his public rap battle with Kendrick Lamar.
Drake’s lawsuit alleges that UMG promoted Kendrick Lamar’s diss track, which he claims falsely implies he is a p*dophile, and that the Super Bowl performance, viewed by over 133 million people, deepened the defamation.
UMG says that the performance did not include the specific lyric in question, making Drake’s point invalid. UMG also slammed Drake for his history of provocative lyrics, suggesting his lawsuit is hypocritical and that Drake is just attempting to salvage his reputation after losing a rap battle he initiated.
“Nowhere in the hundred-plus page ‘legal’ blather written by Drake’s lawyers do they bother to acknowledge that Drake himself has written and performed massively successful songs containing equally provocative taunts against other artists. Nor do they mention that it was Drake who started this particular exchange,” UMG writes.
“Apparently, Drake’s lawyers believe that when Drake willingly participates in a performative rap-battle of music and poetry, he can be ‘defamed’ even though he engages in the exact same form of creative expression.”
UMG is asking a judge to dismiss Drake’s defamation lawsuit.