Kanye West 'ends' years of Drake beef in single clip discussing Universal Music lawsuit

Kanye West and Drake have had a turbulent relationship over the years, but it would appear that the 'Runaway' rapper is hinting that any beef may be quashed, as he weighs in on the ongoing Universal Music lawsuit.

For anyone not up-to-date with the Drake-Kendrick scenario, in January this year, Drake filed a lawsuit with his own record label - Universal Music Group (UMG) - for defamation and spreading the "false and malicious narrative" that he is a paedophile via 'Not Like Us'.

Both Drake and Lamar are signed to UMG, so this is a really messy situation, and no longer a case of Drake vs Kendrick - but Drake vs UMG.

In the legal documents, Drake claimed Universal knew the allegations were false but "chose corporate greed over the safety and wellbeing of its artist", and that it "approved, published, and launched a campaign to create a viral hit out of a rap track" which was "intended to convey the specific, unmistakable, and false factual allegation that Drake is a criminal paedophile, and to suggest that the public should resort to vigilante justice in response".

Kanye West 'ends' years of Drake beef in single clip discussing Universal Music lawsuit Kanye West 'ends' years of Drake beef in single clip discussing Universal Music lawsuit

"In controversy, UMG saw an opportunity, seized it, and continued to fan the flames," the suit reads.

UMG responded by filing to end the lawsuit, and said in a statement to The Independent: "Not only are these claims untrue, but the notion that we would seek to harm the reputation of any artist—let alone Drake—is illogical.

"We have invested massively in his music and our employees around the world have worked tirelessly for many years to help him achieve historic commercial and personal financial success.”

The points in the suit were expanded on Wednesday (16 April), in which Drake claims he was defamed by Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show, and at the Grammy Awards, where over 100 million combined television viewers heard Lamar’s notorious diss track “Not Like Us,” according to court filings.

And now fellow artists are giving their two cents on the situation, including West, who has clarified that he's firmly team Drake on this one.

In a post on X, which can be viewed here, Ye, who has faced his own controversies in recent months, uploaded a link to a Google Drive detailing the suit which can be viewed here, alongside a one-minute video sharing his views that Kendrick Lamar isn't the problem, but rather, the music industry itself pitting artists against each other.

Ye/X

"This is the biggest victory in music history right here", he tells the camera.

"I'm team Drake 100 per cent, and team Kendrick, and team all of us...Kendrick needs to be going at UMG at this point...let's stop aiming this all at each other."

He went on to take aim at Lucian Grainge, CEO of Universal Music and the father of Sofia Richie-Grainge's husband, Elliot.

A spokesperson for Drake issued the following statement in response to UMG’s statement regarding Drake's amended complaint filed on April 16:

“UMG’s latest statement is a desperate attempt to spin the narrative and deflect from the truth: Drake is holding the largest music conglomerate in the world accountable for its actions and doing so without fear.

"We dismissed the Texas discovery action because discovery will now proceed in New York. That’s not retreat, that’s victory. UMG dismissed its first amendment petition in Texas because it has no claim, that’s losing. And UMG knows the case against it is only getting stronger.

"Drake welcomes discovery and has nothing to hide. It’s not Drake who should worry; it’s UMG’s current leadership. We look forward to hearing from Lucian Grainge, John Janick, and UMG employees under oath.

"UMG claims to stand for creativity, but in fact exploits it and the artist community knows that. UMG drains artists for its profits, then discards them. Drake joins a growing chorus of artists raising questions about UMG’s leadership. The public and artists should be concerned about recent headlines involving UMG’s largest stakeholder that only reinforces the need for transparency all the way up to the Board of Director’s level.

"UMG said, ‘be careful what you ask for,’ Drake knows exactly what he asked for: the truth and accountability.”

Indy100 has reached out to Universal Music Group for comment.

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