Universal Music Group (UMG) has issued a strong rebuttal to Drake’s recent lawsuit, calling the claims baseless and illogical.

The legal drama unfolded earlier this week when the Toronto rapper withdrew a pre-action petition he had previously filed against UMG and Spotify. The petition accused both companies of artificially amplifying Kendrick Lamar’s diss track, “Not Like Us.” However, just one day after dropping the petition, Drake escalated the situation by filing a formal lawsuit against UMG. In the suit, he accuses the label of defamation and harassment, alleging that they intentionally promoted the song to spread a “false and malicious narrative” that he is a pedophile.

In a statement shared by Variety, UMG vehemently denied the allegations. “Not only are these claims untrue, but the notion that we would seek to harm the reputation of any artist — let alone Drake — is illogical,” a UMG spokesperson stated. “We have invested massively in his music, and our employees around the world have worked tirelessly for many years to help him achieve historic commercial and personal financial success.”

UMG Responds to Drake’s Allegations

UMG response to Drake. pic.twitter.com/aKd55xa70R

— Elliott Wilson (@ElliottWilson) January 15, 2025

UMG also emphasized Drake’s history of using music to engage in rap feuds, arguing that his lawsuit is an attempt to stifle artistic expression. “Throughout his career, Drake has intentionally and successfully used UMG to distribute his music and poetry to engage in conventionally outrageous back-and-forth ‘rap battles’ to express his feelings about other artists,” the statement continued. “He now seeks to weaponize the legal process to silence an artist’s creative expression and to seek damages from UMG for distributing that artist’s music.”

The company reiterated its stance against defamation. “We have not and do not engage in defamation — against any individual. At the same time, we will vigorously defend this litigation to protect our people and our reputation, as well as any artist who might directly or indirectly become a frivolous litigation target for having done nothing more than write a song.”

As the dispute escalates, it remains to be seen how this high-profile legal battle will unfold.