“Time to see what UMG…. trying to hide”: Attorney Michael J. Gottlieb comments as judge dismisses UMG's plea to stop disclosure in Drake's lawsuit

Drake’s legal battle against UMG continues as the court dismissed the record company’s motion to stay discovery on April 2, 2025. The court judgement comes after Universal Music Group applied on March 17, 2025, to Stay Discovery in their case against the Canadian rapper.

The music company argued that Drake was demanding sensitive information like Lamar’s employment contract and an Interscope CEO’s salary and bonuses.

Judge Jeannette Vargas, in her ruling against UMG’s motion, expressed that she didn’t find anything to warrant a stay of discovery:

"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."

She added:

"I'll set an argument on the motion to dismiss for June 30 at 2 pm. Six months for discovery seems aggressive - if 56 people were disclosed and might be deposed. So, confer and file a new proposal."

According to Hot New HipHop, following Vargas’ dismissal of UMG’s application to stay discovery of documents, Drake’s attorney, Michael Gottlieb, stated:

“Now it's time to see what UMG was so desperately trying to hide."

More details on the Drake v UMG case as the court dismisses the latter’s application to stay discovery

In January 2025, Drake sued the Universal Music Group for alleged defamation, harassment and spreading the false and malicious narratives that he was a p**ophile using Kendrick Lamar’s viral hit Not Like Us.

The rapper’s legal team stated that the music giant knew that Lamar’s lyrics were wrong and misleading and continued to profit from the promotion of the song. The company filed a motion to dismiss the suit on March 17, 2025, on the grounds that the rapper was using the case to salve his wounds after losing a rap battle to Lamar:

"Instead of accepting the loss like the unbothered rap artist he often claims to be, he has sued his record label in a misguided attempt to salve his wounds. Plaintiff’s Complaint is utterly without merit and should be dismissed with prejudice.”

UMG followed with a motion to stop the discovery of documents. The record label claimed that Drake’s recovery requests would result in “undue burden” and:

“Require costly collection and review of large swaths of hard-copy and electronic data sets, contracts and agreements, and communications.”

Drake’s Attorney Gottlieb described UMG’s application to stay discovery as a desperate ploy to avoid discovery, stating:

"This motion is a ploy to delay producing documents and communications that UMG hopes to keep hidden and buried. If UMG has nothing to hide, it should not have an issue with discovery."

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Universal Music Group’s motion to dismiss the suit will be heard on June 30, 2025.

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