Drake Responds to UMG’s Attempt to Dismiss Lawsuit Over Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us”

Drake is pushing back against Universal Music Group’s (UMG) motion to dismiss his lawsuit, which accuses the label of promoting harmful narratives through Kendrick Lamar’s diss track, “Not Like Us.”

The Legal Battle Unfolds

Last November, Drake initiated legal action against UMG, claiming the company intentionally spread false accusations of pedophilia against him through Lamar’s song. In January, after withdrawing his initial pre-action petition, Drake followed up by filing a formal lawsuit against the label.

UMG submitted a motion to dismiss the case, portraying Drake as a sore loser following his lyrical feud with Lamar. The company stated, “He lost a rap battle that he provoked and willingly participated in. Rather than accepting the defeat, he has chosen to sue his own record label in an attempt to soothe his ego. This complaint has no merit and should be dismissed with prejudice.”

Drake’s Firm Response

Drake's legal team responds to UMG’s filing of a motion to dismiss the defamation lawsuit surrounding ‘Not Like Us’

"UMG wants to pretend that this is about a rap battle in order to distract its shareholders, artists and the public from a simple truth: a greedy company is… pic.twitter.com/VyUTI6VEMx

— Kurrco (@Kurrco) March 17, 2025

Drake’s lawyer, Michael J. Gottlieb, issued a sharp rebuttal, asserting that the lawsuit is not about a rap battle but about holding UMG accountable. “UMG is trying to frame this as a battle-related dispute to divert attention from the truth: a powerful corporation is facing consequences for profiting from harmful misinformation that has already incited acts of violence,” Gottlieb told Variety. “This motion is a transparent effort by UMG to escape responsibility. We are confident the case will proceed, uncovering the label’s troubling history of exploiting its artists.”

Recent Developments

Drake’s stance follows his recent decision to drop a separate petition against iHeartMedia, iHeartRadio’s parent company. A representative from iHeartMedia confirmed, “After providing documents proving no wrongdoing, Drake agreed to dismiss the petition. No payments were exchanged, and both parties reached an amicable resolution.”

As the legal proceedings continue, all eyes remain on Drake and UMG, with the outcome potentially influencing artist-label relationships in the music industry.