Billboard Women in Music 2025
Drake made some progress in his defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” after a judge denied Universal’s request to stay the discovery process and allowed Drake to proceed in requesting access to documents, including Lamar’s contracts with the label.
In a pre-trial conference earlier today in New York, Judge Jeanette Vargas ruled in favor of Drake’s legal team, stating that they can begin deposing executives and requesting documents. Last month, UMG asked the judge to stay all discovery in the case, which included demands for “all contracts” between Kendrick Lamar and UMG as well as compensation and incentives like salaries and bonuses for Interscope CEO John Janick and other executives.
Michael Gottlieb, Drake’s lead attorney and partner at Willkie Farr & Gallagher, celebrated the decision in a statement to Variety: “Now it’s time to see what UMG was so desperately trying to hide.”
A Universal rep did not immediately respond to Variety‘s request for comment.
Universal had entered a letter to stay discovery on March 18, claiming that Drake’s first set of discovery requests would cause “undue burden” and “require costly collection and review of large swaths of hard-copy and electronic data sets, contracts and agreements, and communications.” Among the requested documents were Lamar’s contracts with Universal and metrics that determined incentive compensation for Interscope executives over the past five years.
The company has been on the offensive in the case since it was filed in January, most recently filing a scathing motion last month to dismiss the suit and stating that he’s only suing because he “lost a rap battle.” “Instead of accepting the loss like the unbothered rap artist he often claims to be, he has sued his own record label in a misguided attempt to salve his wounds,” read the filing. “Plaintiff’s Complaint is utterly without merit and should be dismissed with prejudice.” In today’s decision, the judge scheduled a hearing on the motion to dismiss for June 30.
Drake initially filed the suit against Universal in January, suing the company for defamation and harassment and spreading the “false and malicious narrative” that he is a pedophile via “Not Like Us.” Drake’s legal team said that Universal knew Lamar’s lyrics and images in the song’s music video were false and dangerous, yet continued to promote it for profit. The suit also accused Universal of colluding with Spotify to falsely inflate streaming numbers for “Not Like Us,” a claim that both companies denied.
That same month, Universal filed a motion to dismiss Drake’s separate petition for pre-suit deposition in Texas, citing lack of evidence in the rapper’s claims against the record company that it artificially inflated and promoted “Not Like Us” following its release last May.