Drake’s ongoing legal battle with UMG and Spotify is making headlines as the rapper recently withdrew a legal petition in New York, only to file a lawsuit against the companies the following day.
The lawsuit aims to investigate the streaming data of UMG and Spotify, with Drake alleging collusion to artificially boost the streaming numbers for Kendrick Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us.”
In addition to the New York filing, Drake also submitted a petition in Texas, although a lawsuit has not yet been filed in that state.
UMG has made efforts to dismiss the Texas petition, filing a 144-page motion denying any wrongdoing and labeling Drake’s legal actions as retaliatory. They are requesting the dismissal of the petition, suspension of discovery, and legal fees, arguing against being held responsible for Drake’s accusations. The documents accuse the Toronto superstar of engaging in strategic legal retaliation. They also pointed to an “apparent effort to limit the distribution of ‘Not Like Us.'”
The motion was filed mere days before the scheduled hearing date. The hearing between UMG and the rapper’s legal team is scheduled for January 28 in Bexar County, Texas. It’s worth noting that Drake is a resident of Texas as of August 2024. The rapper shared a photo of his new ID on Instagram. The rapper was clowned for doing his duck face in the photo, but the point stood. Drake is a Texas resident, and he has been praising the Lone Star State in his music his entire career. One of his breakout songs is called ‘Houstatlantavegas.”
It’s also worth noting that Drake is currently suing UMG. There’s no love lost between these two entities. UMG was recently granted a 34 to respond to the rapper’s defamation lawsuit. The extension was given due to the wildfires that broke out in Los Angeles. “We request this extension,” said UMG lawyer Nicholas Crowley. “Because wildfires in Los Angeles have greatly impacted [the] defendant’s executive and legal teams.” The case is slated to resume on March 17.
