Universal Music Group is calling on a federal judge to shut down Drake's petition to unseal Kendrick Lamar's contract, stating that public disclosure could cripple its negotiating ability with artists and provide competitors with a boost.
AllHipHop reported the filing is part of Drake's defamation case against UMG.
The case revolves around Lamar's 2024 diss song "Not Like Us," which Drake alleges defamed him and caused several home invasions, one of which involved the shooting of his security guard.
UMG informed Judge Jeannette A. Vargas that the contract has very sensitive business terms.
"If these terms were disclosed, then other artists could use them in their own negotiations with UMG and other record labels could use them when competing with UMG to sign or re-sign artists, including potentially Lamar himself," the company's attorneys penned.
The label contended that the agreement stipulates active business transactions with Lamar and includes proprietary information regarding his music and videos.
Releasing the terms, UMG asserted, would not only hurt its bargaining position but also injure its relationship with Lamar.
UMG invoked legal precedent to ask the court to seal the agreement, stating confidentiality was anticipated by both parties.
Drake sued UMG in January 2025, alleging defamation and saying the label pushed "Not Like Us" to damage his image and coerce him into a less favorable recording contract.
The lawsuit also says UMG conspired with Spotify, iHeartRadio and social media influencers to artificially inflate the song.
UMG CEO Lucian Grainge denied the allegations, terming the lawsuit "farcical.
"Drake claims that I was behind a scheme to 'devalue' his brand through the release and promotion of the Kendrick Lamar recording 'Not Like
Us' —an allegation that 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 ofhis recording catalog, and the purchase of his music publishing rights," Grainge stated.
"My focus is on developing and implementing the global strategy that will shape UMG for generations to come.
In light of this responsibility, the proposition that I am in the weeds as to the release and promotion of any particular sound recording, from the thousands of UMG releases throughout the world, is farcical," Grainge added.
He explained that his attention is to UMG's long-term worldwide strategy, not the release of specific recordings.
UMG has requested that the court dismiss the suit on the grounds that the disputed lyrics are artistic opinions and not statements of fact.
The court has not yet decided if the contract of Kendrick Lamar will be kept secret.
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