Drake’s legal onslaught against Universal Music Group has escalated as newly unsealed court filings reveal he is directly targeting top executives in his defamation case.
To quote Family Matters, “there’s nowhere to hide, there’s nowhere to hide, you know what I mean.”
Just a quote. Not saying anyone is hiding. Not even anyone who has been unsuccessfully subpoenaed by Drake’s lawyers.
That part.
Okay, back to it. The “What Did I Miss?” rapper has broadened his claims, accusing UMG leaders of playing a role in maliciously amplifying Kendrick Lamar’s explosive diss track “Not Like Us.”
Get this: In the updated complaint, Drake accuses the label of harassment, defamation, and deceptive business practices. He claims UMG deliberately used “covert strategies” to boost the record’s reach while allowing its damaging portrayal of him to spread unchecked. The lawsuit highlights explicitly one of the track’s most controversial bars, where Lamar brands him a “certified pedophile,” a lyric that stirred massive debate across the culture.
It’s deeper than that, but those are the very 30,000-foot broad strokes.
Check this out, the new filings name multiple executives Drake says should be held personally responsible. Among them are Ramon Alvarez Smikle, Interscope’s EVP of digital marketing; Jordan Bell, who manages influencer and content campaigns; Steve Berman, Interscope’s president of marketing; Anthony Bucher of Hitmaker Services Inc.; Tiffany Bullock of Interscope; Jesse Collins of Roc Nation; and Kojo Menne Asamoah, who was officially served after multiple attempts. UMG’s chief executive, Sir Lucian Grainge, is also listed.
Guess the whole 20v1 assertion wasn’t just rappers if you believe Drizzy’s claims.
The lawsuit stretches further to include senior figures across the wider industry. Those named include Bill Evans, Interscope’s EVP for urban promotion; Jody Gerson, CEO of Universal Music Publishing Group; John Janick, Interscope’s CEO; David Kaefer, VP at Spotify USA; and Andrew Kronfeld, EVP at UMG.
Drop, drop, drop … more names, if there was a chant from Drake fans to go along with the filing, ha.
Anyways, Drake’s team is seeking unspecified statutory and actual damages, with the amount to be determined at trial. They are also pursuing treble damages, attorney’s fees, and additional costs under New York’s General Business Law Section 349, along with interest before and after judgment.
“Head to Delilah with all of my ice, head to Delilah with all of my ice.” That’s the bar before “there’s nowhere to hide.” LOL.
