Drake’s legal battle with UMG appears to be evolving into an unexpected sequel to the rivalry with Kendrick Lamar. The artist has initiated a lawsuit against the record label, alleging defamation in response to the dissemination of Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us.”

He has expressed a strong desire to commence legal proceedings promptly. In contrast, UMG has sought to postpone their pretrial conference. Rather than complying to this request, Drake’s legal representative issued a statement that vehemently criticized UMG. He not only condemned the label’s strategies but also presented evidence intended to bolster his client’s position.

Drake’s legal counsel, Michael J. Gottlieb, elaborated on what he perceived as UMG’s lack of professionalism in a comprehensive four-page document. This document claimed that the label’s legal team has consistently failed to accommodate his requests to coordinate a conference. Moreover, Gottlieb accused UMG of being aware of the 6 God’s legal grievances since the previous July, which he contends provides ample time for case preparation.

Gottlieb further articulated his position on the issue. He urged the court to reject UMG’s request for a postponement and mandated that UMG adhere to the previously established timeline. His rationale? He posits that UMG is deliberately stalling in an effort to “circumvent” judicial protocols.

Michael J. Gottlieb disclosed that UMG had not supplied substantive evidence to substantiate their request for a postponement.

The attorney for Drake similarly expressed disapproval of the prospect of further delays, as he contends that much of the evidence to be presented during the trial is sensitive to time constraints. He is concerned that external materials such as text messages, social media interactions, and emails may be at risk of deletion if the defamation proceedings continue to experience delays.

Additionally, he highlighted the detrimental impact he believes has already occurred on his client’s reputation. The attorney noted that “Not Like Us” remains a significant burden for Drake.

The repercussions of Kendrick Lamar’s Halftime Show have been extensively analyzed. It has been referenced by numerous sources as a contributing factor to the Super Bowl achieving its highest viewership ratings to date.

The pinnacle of Lamar’s performance was undoubtedly marked by the presentation of “Not Like Us.” Gottlieb referenced the staggering 133.5 million viewers who witnessed Drake being ridiculed during this event in his documentation. The urgency of the situation cannot be overstated.

With the pretrial date of April 2 rapidly approaching, the court must soon decide whether to grant UMG’s request for a postponement or to proceed as originally scheduled.