Court give Drake access to Kendrick contracts

Dem don give Drake green light to access sensitive record company documents for im ongoing defamation case ova Kendrick Lamar song Not Like Us.

Di star bin ask for copies of Kendrick Lamar recording contract, and information on salaries and bonuses for senior executives for im record label Universal Music Group (UMG).

Drake dey accuse di company of defamation say dem allow di publication and promotion of Lamar song.

Im claim say e spread di "false and malicious narrative" say im be paedophile.

Universal bin file to dismiss di case last month, as dem call am "illogical" attempt to "silence" Lamar creative expression.

Im bin also ask say make dem pause sake of di evidence-gathering process, wey dem sabi as discovery, am dem bin consider di request.

However, on Wednesday, Judge Jeannette A Vargas, order say make discovery kontinu.

Michael Gottlieb, wey be Drake lead lawyer, celebrate di decision for statement to di BBC.

"Now time donn reach to see wetin UMG bin dey desperately try to hide," im tok.

According to one court filing, Drake team dey seek documents including "all contracts between UMG and Kendrick Lamar" and di salaries and incentive plans for senior record label staff, going back to 2020.

UMG bin object to di request, sake of say na "costly and time-consuming" process to gada di "commercially sensitive" information, say "undue burden" wen court fit still dismiss di case.

One hearing on di motion to dismiss di case dey scheduled for 30 June.

Wetin Drake dey claim for di lawsuit

Drake lawsuit mark di latest chapter for im long-running beef wit Lamar.

Two of dem bin jam heads togeda for a series of rap tracks last year. Inside one, Drake bin accuse Lamar of domestic abuse.

Lamar bin respond wit Not Like Us, for wia im bin paint Drake and im team as "certified paedophiles" (pipo wey dey do kerewa wit minors) wey "dem suppose register and place on neighbourhood watch".

For court documents, Drake bin claim say Universal bin know say Lamar's lyrics na lie but dem "continue to promote am" and di controversy sake of profit.

Di lawsuit also accuse Universal say dem do collabo wit Spotify to use mago-mago increase di streaming numbers for Not Like Us, but di two companies don deny dis claim.

In response, Universal, wey be Drake label for more dan ten years now, say: "No be say only say di claims na lie, but di idea say we want to spoil di reputation of any artist - let alone Drake - dey illogical."

"Throughout im career, Drake bin don intentionally and successfully use UMG to distribute im music and poetry to engage in conventionally outrageous back-and-forth 'rap battles' to express im feelings about oda artists."

In addition, di label bin claim say Drake bin "lose one rap battle wey im bin provoke and im bin willingly participate".

"Now im want weaponise di legal process to silence di creative expression of anoda artist and im wan seek damages from [Universal] for distributing di artist music," di company conclude.

Not Like Us don become di biggest hit of Kendrick Lamar career. For di UK, e becom im first number one single, shortly afta im bin perform am during di Super Bowl Half Time Show for February.

Earlier di record label bin tok say Drake lawsuit 'no make sense'

Wetin bin happun

Drake bin sama Universal Music Group one lawsuit ova di release of Kendrick Lamar diss track Not Like Us last year.

Di Canadian musician file di lawsuit wey accuse di company of defamation becos dem allow di song to dey published. Di suit say di song bin spread di "false and malicious narrative" say e be paedophile.

To ansa, Universal say, "dis claims no dey true but also to think am say we go wan harm di reputation of any any artist especially Drake, no make sense". Universal don be Drake label for more dan 10 years now.

Dem also accuse Drake say im wan try "silence" Lamar bicos im carry dia rap battle go court.