Drake Launches Appeal To Resurrect UMG “Not Like Us” Lawsuit

Drake misplaced his authorized battle with Common Music Group the primary time round. Nonetheless, the Toronto rapper shouldn’t be backing down. Based on Billboard, he has formally filed his discover to attraction the decide’s ruling in his lawsuit towards the label.

His staff shared plans to attraction the ruling this month, shortly after it was introduced. “We intend to attraction at this time’s ruling,” a spokesperson for the artist acknowledged. “And we sit up for the Courtroom of Appeals reviewing it.”

As for UMG, they rapidly made it clear that they have been happy with the result. “From the outset, this swimsuit was an affront to all artists and their artistic expression and by no means ought to have seen the sunshine of day,” they mentioned. “We’re happy with the courtroom’s dismissal and sit up for persevering with our work efficiently selling Drake’s music and investing in his profession.”

Drake filed his lawsuit in January of this 12 months. In it, he alleged that UMG artificially inflated the success of Kendrick Lamar‘s hit diss observe, “Not Like Us.” He alleged that because of this, the corporate the “false and malicious” narrative that he is an alleged predator.

In her ruling, Decide Jeannette Vargas argued that Kendrick’s track lyrics cannot be thought-about defamatory. Based on her, they’re unlikely to be perceived as fact by most listeners.

“The artists’ seven-track rap battle was a ‘disagreement’ that was the topic of considerable media scrutiny and on-line discourse,” she wrote. “Though the accusation that plaintiff is a pedophile is actually a severe one, the broader context of a heated rap battle, with incendiary language and offensive accusations hurled by each members, wouldn’t incline the cheap listener to consider that ‘Not Like Us’ imparts verifiable info about plaintiff.”