Drake Withdraws Petition Filing Against UMG & Spotify
Drake has surprised the music industry by withdrawing his pre-action filing against UMG and Spotify, marking an unexpected twist in the legal battle that began last November. The case stemmed from allegations by Drake’s Frozen Moments LLC accusing UMG of orchestrating an illegal scheme involving bots and payola to inflate the success of Kendrick Lamar’s diss track, Not Like Us. The track reportedly included controversial lyrics targeting Drake, further fueling tensions.
In response, both UMG and Spotify denied the allegations, and Drake subsequently filed a separate defamation suit against UMG over the song’s lyrics. However, on January 14, Drake’s legal team announced the voluntary withdrawal of the pre-action disclosure.
The filing, submitted to the New York Supreme Court, outlines that Drake and his attorneys, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, have discontinued their pursuit of pre-action disclosure and document preservation from both UMG and Spotify. The withdrawal does not indicate whether an out-of-court settlement has been reached.
The official statement reads:
“Please take notice that petitioner and movant Frozen Moments, LLC, by its attorneys Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, hereby withdraws its order to show cause seeking pre-action disclosure and preservation of certain documents and communications from respondent UMG Recordings, Inc., and pre-action disclosure of certain documents and communications from respondent Spotify USA Inc., with exhibits originally filed in New York Supreme Court on November 25, 2024.
Please take further notice that petitioner hereby voluntarily discontinues this special proceeding as to all respondents without costs to any party.”
While Spotify has expressed no objections to the withdrawal, UMG has reserved its position, as it had not yet filed an opposition.
The status of Drake’s separate defamation case, filed in Texas, remains unclear. Fans and industry insiders alike are left speculating about the motivations behind this decision and whether it signals a resolution or a strategic pivot in the ongoing legal drama.
