by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
SDNY COURTHOUSE, Oct 29 – In Drake's lawsuit against UMG for Kendrick Lamar's song "Not Like Us," a hearing was held on April 2 before U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Jeannette N. Vargas. She denied UMG's motion to stay discovery, and asked for a case management plan.
On October 9, Judge Vargas dismissed Drakes case, ruling that "Because the Court concludes that the allegedly defamatory statements in “Not Like Us” are nonactionable opinion, the motion to dismiss is GRANTED." Order on Patreon here
On October 29, Drake filed a notice of appeal. Inner City Press tweeted it, while noting that the book on the ongoing case it had planned will no longer be on Amazon, it seems, due to censorship. Watch this site.
Back on April 9 Drake's lawyer Michael Gottlieb filed a plan, saying there have been no settlement negotiations and that a trial will / would take three weeks. Proposed plan on Patreon here.
On April 14, Judge Vargas signed and finalized the plan, with deposition not due until February 2026 - final signed plan on Patreon here
Back on April 2 Inner City Press was there, from the thread:
Judge Vargas: You say there are 16 RFP [Requests for Production] pending - any third party discovery?
Drake's Willkie Farr lawyer: We've served three third-party subpoenas, and we are trying to serve a fourth. They will go forward is discovery is not stayed
Judge Vargas: I cannot find on that basis that a stay of discovery is warranted. Here there is only one defendant, which weighs against staying discovery. UMG can object to individual requests. The motion to stay discovery is denied.
On June 30 Judge Vargas heard oral argument on UMG's motion to dismiss; Drake's lawyer Gottlieb emphasized damage, not only reputational but via stream bots, thread
More on X for Subscribers here and Substack here
The case is Graham v. UMG Recordings, Inc., 1:25-cv-399 (Vargas)
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