Yes, the battle between Drizzy and his own record label is still going on. Both sides have been locked in a fierce dispute over the date of the pre-trial meeting. Drake’s attorney, Michael J. Gottlieb, argued that any further delay would harm the rapper’s public image (citing Kendrick Lamar’s giant Super Bowl performance). He also demanded that UMG get it together and finally start the discovery process. Now, a federal judge has weighed in on the matter.
On April 2, Judge Jeanette Vargas denied UMG’s motion to stop the discovery process due to flaws in Drake’s case and the rapper allegedly demanding “highly commercial sensitive documents.” These official records included “Kendrick Lamar’s contracts with Universal and metrics that determined incentive compensation for Interscope executives over the past five years.”
The judge made it clear that she typically doesn’t delay discovery unless there are “extraordinary circumstances” that warrant it.
Gottlieb responded to the ruling with his own statement: “Now it’s time to see what UMG was so desperately trying to hide.” UMG has yet to comment on the latest updates in the case.
Drake’s legal team is now free to proceed with obtaining crucial documents and securing witness testimonies. However, in a civil lawsuit, the discovery process goes both ways, meaning that the plaintiff is also subject to scrutiny. UMG is expected to request a range of sensitive materials related to Drake, and they may even push to have the rapper testify.
Drake’s team had previously sought documents related to several issues, including decisions about censoring lyrics for the Super Bowl halftime show, promotional strategies for “Not Like Us” on streaming platforms (although they’re withdrawing the allegations that UMG used bots to boost popularity), and any communications with the Recording Academy ahead of Lamar’s Grammy wins.
They also requested “all contracts and agreements” between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, as well as his representatives. However, it remains to be seen what documents UMG will ultimately provide.
