18-04-2025
Drake's Team Calls Out UMG Leadership: 'We Look Forward To Hearing From Lucian Grainge Under Oath'
Drake's team has fired back at Universal Music Group following the label's lengthy response to their amended complaint filed Wednesday (April 16) within his current defamation lawsuit against the company.
UMG claimed in their response to the updated complaint that Drake is being misled by his legal counsel into believing he has a chance at winning 'this frivolous and reckless lawsuit' and that his team celebrating 'the granting of a routine discovery motion,' could come back to bite them, as 'Drake will personally be subject to discovery as well. As the old saying goes, 'be careful what you wish for.''
Drake's legal team claims the Toronto superstar has 'nothing to hide,' instead calling out UMG's leadership, including UMG CEO Lucian Grainge, and Interscope Geffen A&M Records CEO John Janick. Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment is distributed by Interscope, and is responsible for all of Kendrick Lamar's major studio releases under Top Dawg Ent.
'Drake welcomes discovery and has nothing to hide. It's not Drake who should worry; it's UMG's current leadership. We look forward to hearing from Lucian Grainge, John Janick, and UMG employees under oath,' reads an excerpt of the detailed statement. It also makes reference to other artists who are currently disgruntled with UMG. While it doesn't mention them by name, both Iggy Azalea and Limp Bizkit have complained of being shafted by the label, with the Fred Durst-led group filing a lawsuit of their own in March.
'Drake joins a growing chorus of artists raising questions about UMG's leadership. The public and artists should be concerned about recent headlines involving UMG's largest stakeholder that only reinforces the need for transparency all the way up to the Board of Director's level,' the statement adds.
The amended complaint filed this week addressed slights Drake's team feels were made during both The Grammys and Lamar's Super Bowl Halftime Show, weeks after the suit was originally filed in January.
Read the full statement from Drake's legal team below:
'UMG's latest statement is a desperate attempt to spin the narrative and deflect from the truth: Drake is holding the largest music conglomerate in the world accountable for its actions and doing so without fear.
'We dismissed the Texas discovery action because discovery will now proceed in New York. That's not retreat, that's victory. UMG dismissed its first amendment petition in Texas because it has no claim, that's losing. And UMG knows the case against it is only getting stronger.
'Drake welcomes discovery and has nothing to hide. It's not Drake who should worry; it's UMG's current leadership. We look forward to hearing from Lucian Grainge, John Janick, and UMG employees under oath.
'UMG claims to stand for creativity, but in fact exploits it and the artist community knows that. UMG drains artists for its profits, then discards them. Drake joins a growing chorus of artists raising questions about UMG's leadership. The public and artists should be concerned about recent headlines involving UMG's largest stakeholder that only reinforces the need for transparency all the way up to the Board of Director's level.
'UMG said, 'be careful what you ask for,' Drake knows exactly what he asked for: the truth and accountability.'
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