Drake and his authorized workforce are doubling down on their claims in opposition to Common Music Group, insisting their promotion of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” was a focused assault.
On Wednesday, April 16, Drake filed an amended criticism in his defamation lawsuit in opposition to Common Music Group. The revised model of the criticism claims that the label used Kendrick Lamar’s wins on the Grammy Awards and efficiency of “Not Like Us,” throughout the Tremendous Bowl Halftime Present to additional promote the one and, in flip, harm Drake’s status.
The amended criticism was reviewed by Selection and expands the January swimsuit from 81 to 107 pages, specializing in occasions which have occurred for the reason that preliminary submitting. The rapper’s authorized workforce claims that Lamar’s Tremendous Bowl Halftime Present was proven to over 133 million individuals who had “by no means earlier than heard the music or any of the songs that preceded it.”
“It was the primary, and can hopefully be the final, Tremendous Bowl halftime present orchestrated to assassinate the character of one other artist,” the criticism reads.
The brand new criticism additionally incorporates how UMG made important monetary investments and leveraged its skilled connections to rearrange for the large amplification of defamatory claims to these viewers on the Tremendous Bowl and greater than 15 million viewers on the Grammys.
Drake goes on to allege that Lamar purposely excluded the phrase “pedophile” throughout his Tremendous Bowl efficiency and that “on data and perception,” he wouldn’t have been permitted to carry out until it was omitted from the lyrics. Drake‘s workforce claims that UMG knowingly negotiated and promoted the Tremendous Bowl efficiency after the preliminary lawsuit was filed, inflicting intentional hurt to the Canadian musician.
Michael Gottlieb, Accomplice at Willkie Farr & Gallagher and Drake’s lead lawyer, issued the next assertion after the submitting:
“Drake’s amended criticism makes an already robust case stronger. UMG’s PR ‘spin’ and failed efforts to keep away from discovery can’t suppress the information and the reality. With discovery now transferring ahead, Drake will expose the proof of UMG’s misconduct, and UMG will probably be held accountable for the implications of its ill-conceived selections.”
Again in March, UMG filed a movement to dismiss the lawsuit, insisting that Drake was solely taking authorized motion as a result of he was upset that he “misplaced a rap battle.” A listening to for the swimsuit dismissal is at the moment scheduled for June 30.
