The legal war between rap icon Drake and Universal Music Group (UMG) just intensified, as a California judge has granted the rappers legal team permission to subpoena Kojo Menne Asamoah, a central figure in Drakes defamation lawsuit against the label.
The courts decision marks a significant development in Drakes ongoing case, which alleges that UMG falsely promoted Kendrick Lamars viral diss track Not Like Us and used covert tactics to boost its success. The Toronto rapper claims the song, which features explosive allegations against him, was part of a broader campaign by UMG to damage his reputation.
According to court documents, Drakes team believes Asamoah holds critical information and documents that could expose behind-the-scenes dealings, specifically, alleged secret financial incentives and payments made to inflate the tracks performance. These incentives were reportedly coordinated on behalf of UMG executive Ramon Alvarez-Smikle and may involve violations of New York General Business Law.
The motion filed by Drakes attorneys states:
Plaintiff now requests that he be permitted to send the Subpoena both by certified mail and to affix the Subpoena to the doors at the five physical addresses believed to be associated with Mr. Asamoah, his family, and his business. Further, Plaintiff asks to send the Subpoena by email to three email addresses connected to Mr. Asamoah and his business ventures. Plaintiffs counsel confirms that these email addresses remain operative.
With the judge granting this request, Drakes legal team is now cleared to pursue the information they believe could help prove their claims that UMG engaged in deliberate manipulation to position Not Like Us as a cultural phenomenon at Drakes expense.
The lawsuit, initially filed in 2024, accuses UMG of defamation and breach of contract. It also suggests the label leveraged its power to falsely market Lamars diss as a legitimate hit, despite allegedly engineering its viral success using artificial means, including bot-generated streams.
