Universal Music Group (UMG) has responded to Drake's lawsuit over Kendrick Lamar's diss track "Not Like Us," calling the rapper's claims "a misguided attempt to salve his wounds" after losing a rap battle. In a filing, UMG broadly argues that the court should dismiss Drake's lawsuit, stating that the rapper cannot back up his claims with evidence.

UMG's response comes after Drake sued the label, alleging that "Not Like Us" damaged his reputation. However, UMG claims that Drake previously agreed that prosecutors shouldn't use lyrics against rappers, citing a 2022 letter signed by Drake and other prominent artists in support of Young Thug, a rapper whose lyrics were used against him in a trial.

The label also points out that the broader context surrounding "Not Like Us" meant the audience was anticipating the use of aggressive lyrics. UMG cites the "seven preceding tracks in which Drake and Lamar hurled increasingly vitriolic allegations at each other," including claims that Lamar's son isn't his and that he'd abused his fiancé. The label argues that "if ever there was circumstance for the audience to 'anticipate the use of epithets, fiery rhetoric or hyperbole,' this is it."

Furthermore, UMG claims that Drake is no stranger to using fiery lyrics, citing his song "Family Matters," which "is a scathing attack on Lamar, laden with hyperbolic slurs." The label argues that fiery lyrics are "par for the course" in rap music, especially on diss tracks. "Rappers know that their lyrics are exaggerated and nonfactual; that is part of the craft," UMG says.

UMG also refutes allegations that "Not Like Us" issued a "call to violence," citing the shooting of Drake's security guard outside the rapper's home days after the song's release. The label claims that Drake attempts to "contort violent metaphors in the lyrics into incitement."

In addition, UMG argues that Drake acknowledged the controversies mentioned in "Not Like Us," stating that "facts and criticism concerning Drake's relationships with minors predate 'Not Like Us' and have been widely reported." The label also says that Drake affirmed that he understood Lamar's statements in "Not Like Us" to refer to the Millie Bobby Brown controversy.

Finally, UMG pushes back on Drake's accusations that the label artificially inflated streams of "Not Like Us" by using bots and payola. The label claims that Drake based his bots theory on an allegation espoused by an anonymous individual on Twitch, who claimed Lamar's label paid him to boost the diss track's streams on Spotify. However, UMG says that this "already dubious source" later claimed that he was specifically hired by Lamar's manager – not UMG or its subsidiary, Interscope.

Drake's lawyer, Mike Gottlieb, has responded to UMG's filing, stating that the label wants to "pretend that this is about a rap battle in order to distract its shareholders, artists, and the public from a simple truth: a greedy company is finally being held responsible for profiting from dangerous misinformation that has already resulted in multiple acts of violence." Gottlieb expressed confidence that the case will proceed and continue to uncover UMG's long history of endangering, abusing, and taking advantage of its artists.

The ongoing legal battle between Drake and UMG has sparked a heated debate in the music industry, with many artists and fans taking sides. As the case continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how the court will rule on Drake's lawsuit and what implications this will have for the music industry as a whole.