The civil lawsuit filed by Drake in opposition to Common Music Group (UMG) is underway, with each side now submitting lists of potential witnesses. In a transfer that’s elevating eyebrows throughout the business, UMG has notably known as for each Drake and his most up-to-date rival, Kendrick Lamar, to testify in courtroom throughout Drizzy’s “Not Like Us” civil lawsuit.
Drake initially filed his lawsuit in opposition to UMG in January 2025, accusing the music big of knowingly defaming him. His criticism facilities on Kendrick Lamar’s hit diss monitor, “Not Like Us,” which famously refers to Drake as a “little one predator.” Drake alleges that UMG not solely distributed this track but additionally promoted it by “unlawful means.”
UMG, for its half, has vehemently denied these claims, asserting that the notion they’d “search to hurt the status of any artist — not to mention Drake — is illogical.” They’ve additionally been actively pushing for the choose to dismiss the case solely. Regardless of their efforts, the lawsuit continues to maneuver ahead.
“Plaintiff, one of the profitable recording artists of all time, misplaced a rap battle that he provoked and wherein he willingly participated,” UMG’s legal professionals write within the submitting. “As an alternative of accepting the loss just like the unbothered rap artist he typically claims to be, he has sued his personal document label in a misguided try to salve his wounds.”
The authorized chess match intensified on Monday, July 14. In line with XXL Magazine, each side introduced their lists of people who might probably be subpoenaed to testify. Drake’s authorized crew submitted a sprawling checklist of 63 people and entities, signaling a wide-ranging inquiry into how “Not Like Us” gained traction and its impression.
UMG Civil Lawsuit: The Witness Record Showdown
Drake’s in depth checklist of potential witnesses consists of the rapper himself, in addition to prime business executives corresponding to UMG CEO Lucian Grange, Interscope advertising and marketing president Steve Berman, and Republic Information CEO Monte Lipman. His authorized crew can be in search of data from main streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal, YouTube, SoundCloud, and TikTok. Moreover, entities related to Lamar’s Tremendous Bowl LIX Halftime Present efficiency, such because the NFL and Roc Nation, are additionally on Drake’s radar. Drake’s legal professionals are seemingly aiming to uncover any alleged “covert ways to advertise the Defamatory Materials.” Notably, Drake’s crew has listed Kojo Menne Asamoah, whom they declare used such ways, however they’ve been unable to find or serve him regardless of hiring non-public investigators.
In stark distinction to Drake’s in depth checklist, UMG has filed a significantly shorter checklist containing simply 9 names. Nevertheless, the inclusion of two particular names on UMG’s checklist has captured everybody’s consideration: Drake himself and Kendrick Lamar. Kendrick Lamar’s supervisor, Anthony Saleh, can be named. This transfer is especially important as a result of Lamar will not be listed as a defendant within the lawsuit.
UMG’s legal professionals argue that Lamar “is more likely to have discoverable data in regards to the creation of the recording, picture, and video and the distribution and promotion of the recording and video.”
The authorized groups’ methods trace at a high-stakes courtroom showdown. Whereas Drake claims the lawsuit is about UMG benefiting from “harmful misinformation” and “artificially inflat[ing]” the track’s reputation, UMG maintains Drake is solely “weaponiz[ing] the authorized course of to silence an artist’s inventive expression” after “shedding a rap battle.”
The submit Take The Stand! UMG Desires To Subpoena Drake & Kendrick Lamar In ‘Not Like Us’ Lawsuit appeared first on Bossip.
Take The Stand! UMG Desires To Subpoena Drake & Kendrick Lamar In ‘Not Like Us’ Lawsuit
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