Drake Gets Big Win in Lawsuit against Universal

Drake just scored a big victory in his legal fight against his label, UMG.

Earlier this month, UMG filed a motion to stay discovery in Drake's lawsuit against them, alleging he was trying to obtain sensitive internal documents.

Today, a judge denied the stay.

"I cannot find on that basis that a stay of discovery is warranted. Here there is only one defendant, which weighs against staying discovery. UMG can object to individual requests. The motion to stay discovery is denied," Judge  Jeannette Vargas ruled.

Drake is suing Universal over the release and promotion of Kendrick Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us.” He alleges that UMG engaged in actions that harmed his reputation and safety by distributing and amplifying a song that falsely accuses him of being a pedophile. Specifically, Drake’s lawsuit, filed in January 2025 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, accuses UMG of defamation and harassment. He argues that the label “approved, published, and launched a campaign to create a viral hit” out of the track, knowing the allegations were untrue, and prioritized “corporate greed” over his well-being. Drake’s legal claims also tie the song’s promotion to real-world consequences, such as a shooting at his Toronto home last year, that injured his security guard, and subsequent trespassing attempts, which he links to the inflammatory nature of "Not Like Us". He contends that UMG’s actions were partly motivated by a desire to devalue his brand ahead of contract renegotiations, giving the label leverage to secure a more favorable deal.  He seeks undisclosed damages.

Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press, reports that Judge Jeannette A. Vargas has DENIED UMG’s motion to stay discovery ruling in Drake’s favor.

Looks like you can’t put millions into botting a defamatory song about Drake being a pedophile and get away with it so easily 😂 pic.twitter.com/57Fy8txSPv

— Akademiks TV (@AkademiksTV) April 2, 2025