Common Music Group has issued a warning to Drake following the rapper’s choice to amend his defamation lawsuit with new claims concentrating on Kendrick Lamar’s Tremendous Bowl halftime present efficiency.
“Watch out what you want for,” the music large warned Drake in an announcement issued to MBW on Wednesday (April 16), stating that the artist’s continued authorized battle exposes him to a authorized discovery course of.
“Two weeks in the past, his representatives celebrated a ‘win’: the granting of a routine discovery movement. That ‘win’ will develop into a loss if this frivolous and reckless lawsuit is just not dropped in its entirety as a result of Drake will personally be topic to discovery as properly,” Common Music Group cautioned.
The assertion comes as Drake on Wednesday filed an amended grievance in Manhattan federal court docket, additional escalating his ongoing battle with the music large.
The 107-page submitting now references the NFL’s choice to censor the phrases “licensed pedophile” from Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us efficiency in the course of the Tremendous Bowl LIX halftime present in February.
“It was the primary, and can hopefully be the final, Tremendous Bowl halftime present orchestrated to assassinate the character of one other artist,” based on Drake’s newest grievance.
“Two weeks in the past, his representatives celebrated a ‘win’… That ‘win’ will develop into a loss if this frivolous and reckless lawsuit is just not dropped in its entirety as a result of Drake will personally be topic to discovery as properly.”
Common Music Group
The Canadian rapper’s authorized group argued that whereas the televised efficiency censored the phrase “pedophile,” no different modifications had been made.
They additional argued that Lamar wouldn’t have been permitted to carry out in the course of the Tremendous Bowl “until the phrase ‘pedophile’ was omitted from the lyrics—that’s as a result of practically everybody understands that it’s defamatory to falsely model somebody a ‘licensed pedophile’.”
Lamar’s halftime efficiency, broadcast by Fox, was the most-watched of all time, with 133.5 million views, based on Billboard.
“The settlement to censor the phrase ‘pedophile’ didn’t remedy the Tremendous Bowl Efficiency of conveying the Recording’s central defamatory which means. As an alternative, the Tremendous Bowl Efficiency additional solidified the general public’s perception within the reality of the allegations in opposition to Drake,” based on Drake’s amended grievance.
UMG described Drake’s defamation swimsuit “one absurd authorized step after one other.”
“Drake, unquestionably one of many world’s most completed artists and with whom we’ve loved a 16-year profitable relationship, is being misled by his authorized representatives into taking one absurd authorized step after one other,” UMG mentioned.
The music large pointed to a sample of authorized actions by Drake’s group, noting that proceedings initiated “with a lot fanfare and bluster” in Texas final November had been “quietly dropped” on Monday (April 14).
“It was the primary, and can hopefully be the final, Tremendous Bowl halftime present orchestrated to assassinate the character of one other artist.”
Drake’s Legal professionals
UMG additionally highlighted that Drake has withdrawn sure allegations from his authentic January submitting, doubtlessly to keep away from court docket sanctions for “asserting false allegations.”
“Terrified of being sanctioned by the court docket for asserting false allegations, tonight they amended the grievance to withdraw them solely so as to add extra baseless allegations,” UMG asserted.
The amended grievance not consists of particular claims that quoted a “whistleblower” alleging Interscope paid him by means of third events to make use of “bots” to attain 30 million streams on Spotify shortly after the discharge of Lamar’s tune.
The brand new submitting now means that the label merely “turned a blind eye” to such actions as a substitute of actively collaborating in them.
“At minimal, UMG was conscious that third events had been utilizing bots to stream the recording and turned a blind eye, regardless of having the ability to cease such habits,” the amended submitting learn.
UMG concluded: “Each the Texas and New York proceedings are an affront to all artists and artistic expression.”
“Terrified of being sanctioned by the court docket for asserting false allegations, tonight they amended the grievance to withdraw them solely so as to add extra baseless allegations.”
Common Music Group
“Ought to his authorized representatives senselessly maintain the New York lawsuit alive, we’ll reveal that every one remaining claims are with out advantage,” UMG warned. “It’s shameful that these silly and frivolous authorized theatrics proceed. They’re reputationally and financially expensive to Drake and don’t have any probability of success.”
UMG has 21 days, or till Might 7, to file one other movement to dismiss the amended grievance.
Notably, that day marks the primary anniversary of the alleged violence that occurred at Drake’s Toronto home (as cited within the grievance), three days after Lamar’s Not Like Us dropped. That very same day, Drake’s OVO clothes retailer was allegedly vandalized with graffiti that learn: “They not like us.”
Drake’s amended submitting comes two weeks after Choose Jeanette Vargas in New York dominated that the invention course of within the defamation case can start. UMG in March requested the decide for a keep of discovery within the lawsuit, a day after the corporate filed a movement to dismiss the case. Drake had beforehand opposed UMG’s try and halt the evidence-gathering course of.
Learn UMG’s assertion under:
“Drake, unquestionably one of many world’s most completed artists and with whom we’ve loved a 16-year profitable relationship, is being misled by his authorized representatives into taking one absurd authorized step after one other.
In Texas final November, his counsel instituted a authorized continuing with a lot fanfare and bluster. On Monday, they quietly dropped the case.
In New York in January, Drake’s counsel filed a defamation lawsuit. Terrified of being sanctioned by the court docket for asserting false allegations, tonight they amended the grievance to withdraw them solely so as to add extra baseless allegations.
Two weeks in the past, his representatives celebrated a ‘win’: the granting of a routine discovery movement. That ‘win’ will develop into a loss if this frivolous and reckless lawsuit is just not dropped in its entirety as a result of Drake will personally be topic to discovery as properly. Because the previous saying goes, ‘watch out what you want for.’
Each the Texas and New York proceedings are an affront to all artists and artistic expression. Ought to his authorized representatives senselessly maintain the New York lawsuit alive, we’ll reveal that every one remaining claims are with out advantage. It’s shameful that these silly and frivolous authorized theatrics proceed. They’re reputationally and financially expensive to Drake and don’t have any probability of success.”Music Enterprise Worldwide
