Key Takeaways:

• Lucian Grainge referred to as Drake’s defamation lawsuit “farcical” and denied any function in selling “Not Like Us.”
• Drake’s authorized group demanded Universal music Group hand over Kendrick Lamar’s contract and Grainge’s emails.
• The case highlights rising tensions between artists and labels over inventive management and public picture.

Lucian Grainge will not be happy with Drake. The CEO of the Universal music Group minced no phrases when he responded to the Toronto rapper’s latest demand pertaining to his defamation lawsuit in opposition to the company.

On Thursday (Aug. 14), as reported by music-news/lucian-grainge-drake-universal-music-group-kendrick-lamar-1236345343/”>The Hollywood Reporter, Grainge filed a declaration letter with the Southern District of New York and scorched Drizzy’s desire to obtain documents pertaining to UMG’s relationship with Kendrick Lamar.

The 6 God is claiming that UMG basically conspired in opposition to him when it promoted Okay. Dot’s hit diss report, which calls him a “certified pedophile.” In court docket filings submitted on Tuesday (Aug. 12), Drake’s authorized group demanded an unredacted model of Lamar’s Interscope Records contract in addition to Grainge’s emails and textual content messages pertaining to “Not Like Us” as a part of the invention course of in his lawsuit. The paperwork additionally alleged that the corporate sought to devalue Drake’s model in an effort to realize leverage forward of a possible contract extension.

However, in his letter, Grainge says he had no intention to “devalue” Drake’s model by way of “Not Like Us.” Instead, he argues that saying so “makes no sense” since UMG has “invested hundreds of millions of dollars” into the Views artist, “including longstanding and critical financial support for his recording career, the purchase and ownership of the bulk of his recording catalog, and the purchase of his music publishing rights.”

The finish of the letter appears notably damning for Drake. “Given my role, I am accustomed (and unfortunately largely resigned) to personal attacks,” the CEO writes. “I further recognize that a frequent strategy of UMG’s litigation opponents is to attempt to waste my and UMG’s time and resources with discovery of the sort that Drake is seeking here — either in an attempt to gain media attention or in an effort to force some kind of commercial renegotiation or financial concessions.”

The music government then asserted that he was too busy working a world firm to be concerned within the trivialities of selling “Not Like Us.” In truth, he famous that he heard the tune — in addition to noticed the duvet artwork and music video — on the identical time the remainder of the world did.

“Whilst, as part of my role, I certainly have financial oversight of and responsibility for UMG’s global businesses, the proposition that I was involved in, much less responsible for, reviewing and approving the content of ‘Not Like Us,’ its cover art or music video, or for determining or directing the promotion of those materials, is groundless and indeed ridiculous,” Grainge wrote.

UMG continues to disclaim any wrongdoing. The firm is requesting that Drake’s movement be denied and pushing that the case be dismissed fully.