Drake is getting ready to make some serious changes in his defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group over their handling of Kendrick Lamar‘s “Not Like Us” — at least according to UMG’s attorney.
In a letter to the court filed on Friday (February 21), UMG lawyer Rollin A. Ransom asks for a pretrial conference currently scheduled for April 2 to be delayed so that the court would have time to consider Universal’s motion to dismiss the case entirely, which the company has to file on or before March 17.
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While discussing that, Ransom notes that the specifics of the case itself are in flux.
“[P]ursuant to separate correspondence, Plaintiff has agreed to withdraw certain key allegations in his complaint,” he writes.
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Ransom’s letter does not give any details about what those “certain key allegations” are.
Drizzy filed his complaint last month in New York federal court accusing the music giant — the parent company of his and Kendrick’s respective record labels — of defamation and harassment.
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In the suit, which has been viewed by HipHopDX, the Toronto rap star condemns UMG for having “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.”
He repeats previous claims that the company used “unlawful” methods to turn “Not Like Us” into a global hit, including secretly paying for fake streams and radio play.
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The motive for this, he says, was financial. Not only would the song generate massive amounts of money through streams and sales, but UMG knew its “dangerous” content would “devalue Drake’s music and brand” and give them an advantage when it came time to renegotiate his contract.
“UMG anticipated that extending Drake’s contract would be costly,” the 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.”
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Supporting his claim of defamation, the complaint includes numerous examples of the “avalanche of online hate speech” that has “branded Drake a sex offender and pedophile.”
It also cites a shooting at the rapper’s Toronto home shortly after the release of “Not Like Us” which injured a security guard, as well as multiple trespassing incidents. According to Drake, UMG is to blame.
He even claims that this pattern of “violence and vitriol” has left him “fear[ing] for the safety and security of himself, his family, and his friends.”
“After the attacks on his home, Drake pulled his son out of the elementary school he attended in Toronto due to safety concerns, and once school ended for the summer, Drake arranged for his son and mother to leave Toronto entirely,” the lawsuit reads. “Day to day, Drake continues to take steps to address persistent threats to his security.”
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Drizzy claims that he confronted UMG about the release and promotion of “Not Like Us,” as well as the “tangible harm” that he has faced as a result of the song, but the company did nothing.
