Key Insights
- Legal Access: Drake has received a redacted version of Kendrick Lamar’s contract as part of his lawsuit against UMG.
- Judicial Approval: Judge Jeanette Vargas granted the motion to seal the contract, citing confidentiality concerns.
- Business Interests: The court determined that protecting UMG’s business relationships was paramount over public access rights.
- UMG’s Defense: Lucian Grainge refuted allegations of conspiracy and emphasized UMG’s financial support for Drake.
Drake has been granted access to a redacted version of Kendrick Lamar‘s recording contract with UMG as part of his lawsuit against the music giant.
Drake had been wanting to see Kendrick’s contract in his legal battle against his own record label and the motion was granted by Judge Jeanette Vargas.
Vargas said: “Plaintiff and UMG’s request… for permission to file under seal a contract between UMG Recordings, Inc. and Kendrick Lamar Duckworth, as produced by UMG in redacted form with the designation Attorney’s Eyes Only, is GRANTED.”
Vargas added: “UMG has made a sufficient showing that the information that he seeks to seal qualifies as confidential, ‘sensitive business information.’”
However, the judge ultimately ruled: “In this instance, the ‘interest in protecting confidential business information outweighs the qualified First Amendment presumption of public access’.”
She added: “Additionally, because the Lamar Contract reflects an ‘ongoing contractual relationship’ between UMG’s business partner and Lamar, the Court agrees that sealing the contract would best protect UMG’s ‘business relationships and interests, and the privacy interests of non-parties.’”
Drake was recently criticized by UMG boss, Lucian Grainge, over his demands for documentation regarding his feud with Kendrick Lamar.
In a response to Drake’s demands, Grainge has submitted a declaration to the court saying he “had never heard the recording ‘Not Like Us,’ nor ever saw the corresponding cover art or music video, until after they were released by Interscope Records.”
Grainge also said: “Whilst, as part of my role, I certainly have financial oversight of and responsibility for UMG’s global businesses, the proposition that I was involved in, much less responsible for, reviewing and approving the content of ‘Not Like Us’, its cover art or music video, or for determining or directing the promotion of those materials, is groundless and indeed ridiculous.”
The longtime music executive also slammed Drake’s allegations he was behind a conspiracy to harm the Canadian rapper.
He said it “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 of his recording catalog, and the purchase of his music publishing rights.”
Grainge added: “I am accustomed (and unfortunately largely resigned) to personal attacks, and I further recognize that a frequent strategy of UMG’s litigation opponents is to attempt to waste my and UMG’s time and resources with discovery of the sort that Drake is seeking here — either in an attempt to gain media attention or in an effort to force some kind of commercial renegotiation or financial concessions.”
