Drake has been blasted by UMG boss Lucian Grainge over the 6 God’s attempts to get the music mogul provide documentation for his controversial defamation lawsuit against the record label.
In a response to Drake’s demands, Grainge has submitted a declaration to the court saying he “had never heard the recording ‘Not Like Us,’ nor ever saw the corresponding cover art or music video, until after they were released by Interscope Records.”
Grainge also said: “Whilst, as part of my role, I certainly have financial oversight of and responsibility for UMG’s global businesses, the proposition that I was involved in, much less responsible for, reviewing and approving the content of ‘Not Like Us’, its cover art or music video, or for determining or directing the promotion of those materials, is groundless and indeed ridiculous.”
The longtime music executive also slammed Drake’s allegations he was behind a conspiracy to harm the Canadian rapper.
He said it “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 added: “I am accustomed (and unfortunately largely resigned) to personal attacks, and I further recognize that a frequent strategy of UMG’s litigation opponents is to attempt to waste my and UMG’s time and resources with discovery of the sort that Drake is seeking here — either in an attempt to gain media attention or in an effort to force some kind of commercial renegotiation or financial concessions.”
UMG’s lawyers also called Drake’s attempts to secure documents from Grainge “a transparent attempt to use discovery to harass UMG and force it to waste time and resources out of spite”.
They added: “The premise of Drake’s motion — that he could not have lost a rap battle unless it was the product of some imagined secret conspiracy going to the top of UMG’s corporate structure — is absurd.”
UMG also opposed Drake’s demands to see financial records relating to Kendrick Lamar’s recording contract.
