Universal Music Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Lucian Grainge is firing back at Drake following the rap star’s legal actions against the music conglomerate. Variety reports that a declaration letter was filed late Thursday night by Grainge with the Southern District of New York; in which he called Drake’s claims of defamation “farcical,” “nonsensical,” “groundless and indeed ridiculous.” It comes after Drake sued his own record label for defamation over his rap beef with Kendrick Lamar and the song “Not Like Us.”
In the filing, Grainge notes that UMG spent “hundreds of millions” in supporting Drake’s music. He further states that he was too busy running the world’s largest music company to be “in the weeds” with Drake and Kendrick’s feud.
This week, Drake’s attorneys tried to force UMG and Grainge to turn over the label’s contract with Lamar, along with details regarding alleged claims of domestic violence and committed by Lamar, who released “Not Like Us” and other songs referencing the battle via UMG’s Interscope division.
“[I refute] claims that I was behind a scheme to ‘devalue’ [Drake’s] brand through the release and promotion of the Kendrick Lamar recording ‘Not Like Us,’” Grainge states. “An allegation that makes no sense due to the fact that the company that I run, Universal Music Group N.V., has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Drake, 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.”
Grainge goes on to dismiss any notion that helped plan and approve the song’s actual subject matter.
UMG writes in a separate letter that “Drake’s motion is a transparent attempt to use discovery to harass UMG and force it to waste time and resources out of spite.”
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