Emotions In The Court : Drake vs UMG Case and Young Thug Tweeting

Summary

The Breakfast Club - Episode: Emotions In The Court: Drake vs UMG Case and Young Thug Tweeting

Release Date: April 3, 2025
Hosts: DJ Envy, J. "Huggy" Higginki, and Charlamagne Tha God
Guest: Lauren LaRosa

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Introduction

In this episode of The Breakfast Club, hosts DJ Envy, J. "Huggy" Higginki, and Charlamagne Tha God engage in an in-depth discussion featuring guest Lauren LaRosa. The conversation centers around two major topics in the music industry: Drake's ongoing legal battle with Universal Music Group (UMG) over the song "Not Like Us," and Young Thug's recent controversial tweets that have landed him in legal jeopardy.

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Drake vs. Universal Music Group (UMG)

Lauren LaRosa provides a comprehensive analysis of Drake's lawsuit against UMG, shedding light on the complexities and implications of the case.

• Background of the Lawsuit:

  • Drake alleges that UMG failed to protect his interests, allowing another artist on the label, Kendrick Lamar, to release the song "Not Like Us," which Drake claims is defamatory and damages his reputation.
  • Drake accuses UMG of unethical practices, including using bots to artificially inflate the song's popularity and paying third-party bloggers to promote it.

• UMG's Defense:

  • UMG dismisses Drake's claims as unfounded, asserting that the song is popular due to its inherent quality and not due to any illicit promotion tactics.
  • They argue that Drake's allegations are baseless and that they have always acted in the best interest of their artists.

• Legal Proceedings:

  • Lauren explains that Drake has filed a motion to gain access to UMG's internal documents through the discovery process. This move aims to uncover any evidence supporting his claims.
  • Judge Jeanette Vargas denied UMG's request to stay the discovery, allowing Drake to proceed with his demands for internal documents, including contracts related to Kendrick Lamar.

• Strategic Implications:

  • Lauren interprets Drake's actions as a strategic move to gain transparency and potentially leverage inside information to strengthen his position.
  • She notes that UMG's resistance to the discovery process indicates their confidence in their defense, but also highlights the potential risks if incriminating evidence is found.

• Notable Quote:

  "Drake is like, 'Here's what I think is happening. Let me poke around a little bit and find out who my real target is.'"
  — Lauren LaRosa (04:15)

• Outcome and Future Prospects:

  • The denial of UMG's stay on the discovery process is viewed as a significant win for Drake. Lauren speculates that if evidence supporting his claims is uncovered, it could lead to a favorable settlement or compel UMG to address the alleged misconduct.
  • However, she also cautions that if Drake's claims are not substantiated, it could harm his reputation and be perceived as unfounded aggression towards the label.

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Young Thug's Controversial Tweets and Legal Repercussions

The discussion shifts to Young Thug's recent actions on social media and their legal consequences.

• Incident Overview:

  • Young Thug tweeted allegations against a woman in the Fulton County District Attorney's office, labeling her as "the biggest liar" and suggesting corruption within the DA's office.
  • Following the tweets, the woman and her family faced online threats, including the leaking of personal contact information, endangering their safety.

• Legal Fallout:

  • In response, prosecutors filed a motion to revoke Young Thug's probation, citing his conduct as a threat to the safety of witnesses and prosecutors.
  • The motion emphasizes that Young Thug's actions compromise ongoing legal proceedings and undermine the integrity of the court.

• Analysis by Lauren LaRosa:

  • Lauren critiques Young Thug's decision to publicly accuse a DA's office member, arguing that it was irresponsible and detrimental to his legal standing.
  • She highlights the importance of respecting the court system and advises that grievances should be addressed through appropriate legal channels rather than public outbursts on social media.

• Notable Quote:

  "If I was Thug, I wouldn't be tweeting a dang thing. I'll put it in a group chat. You're not gonna get me publicly speaking about nothing that goes against the court."
  — Lauren LaRosa (10:25)

• Potential Outcomes:

  • Lauren speculates that revoking probation could lead to more severe legal consequences for Young Thug, including possible incarceration.
  • She emphasizes the delicate balance between public personas and legal responsibilities, urging artists to navigate their personal grievances with caution to avoid jeopardizing their careers and legal standing.

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Conclusion

The episode wraps up with Lauren LaRosa expressing her gratitude to listeners and encouraging them to share the podcast. She underscores the significance of these legal battles in shaping the dynamics of the music industry and the reputations of the artists involved.

• Final Thoughts:

  • Lauren emphasizes the need for transparency and accountability within the music industry, especially among major labels and high-profile artists.
  • She advocates for respectful and legally sound approaches to resolving disputes, cautioning against actions that could lead to unnecessary legal complications.

• Notable Quote:

  "I want you guys to know that if you're looking for a great morning drive, like, just bite-sized, good information. It's right here, baby, Period."
  — Lauren LaRosa (11:50)

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Key Takeaways

1. Drake vs. UMG:

   • The lawsuit highlights potential issues of artist-label relationships and the ethical responsibilities of major music corporations.
   • The ongoing discovery process could set precedents for how internal label practices are scrutinized in the future.

2. Young Thug's Legal Challenges:

   • Public accusations against legal officials can have severe repercussions, including jeopardizing probation and complicating legal proceedings.
   • The incident serves as a cautionary tale for artists to manage their public statements carefully to avoid legal pitfalls.

3. Industry Implications:

   • These high-profile cases underscore the importance of transparency, ethical conduct, and respectful communication within the music industry.
   • They also highlight the significant influence and scrutiny that artists wield in the digital age, where public statements can have immediate and far-reaching consequences.

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Quotes with Timestamps

• Lauren LaRosa on Drake's Strategy:

  "Drake is like, 'Here's what I think is happening. Let me poke around a little bit and find out who my real target is.'" (04:15)

• Lauren LaRosa on Young Thug's Conduct:

  "If I was Thug, I wouldn't be tweeting a dang thing. I'll put it in a group chat. You're not gonna get me publicly speaking about nothing that goes against the court." (10:25)

• Lauren LaRosa on the Podcast's Value:

  "I want you guys to know that if you're looking for a great morning drive, like, just bite-sized, good information. It's right here, baby, Period." (11:50)

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This episode of The Breakfast Club provides insightful perspectives on complex legal battles within the music industry, emphasizing the delicate interplay between personal actions and professional repercussions. Through Lauren LaRosa's analysis, listeners gain a deeper understanding of the implications these cases hold for artists and labels alike.

Transcript

[Jeremy Scott]

Something unexpected happened after Jeremy Scott confessed to killing Michelle Schofield in Bone Valley season one.

[Gilbert King]

Every time I hear about my dad is, oh, he's a killer. He's just straight evil.

[Jeremy Scott]

I was becoming the bridge between Jeremy Scott and the son he'd never known.

[Gilbert King]

At the end of the day, I'm literally a son of a killer.

[Jeremy Scott]

Listen to new episodes of bone Valley Season 2, starting April 9th on the iHeartRadio app.

[Lauren LaRosa]

App.

[Jeremy Scott]

Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I'm the home girl that knows a little bit about everything and everybody know.

[Gilbert King]

If you don't lie about that, right?

[Jeremy Scott]

Lauren came in hot.

[Lauren LaRosa]

This is the Latest with Lauren LaRosa. I am Lauren LaRosa. This is episode four. I love even numbers. I think even numbers, they just feel whole. Feel like completion, you know, just full and, like, good. And you guys will notice for, you know, when the video comes out again. The video always rolls out 48 hours after you listen to this episode on Lauren. The Rosa TV audio is right here. So stay locked. Make sure you subscribe, and you're downloading the podcast. So today was, like, such a day, But I'm excited. I just got an alert. Charlamagne sent us something that I was like, what? This is so lit. So on Apple podcasts, and everybody's like, where do I find a podcast? Where do I find a podcast? Apple podcast is the app that comes on your iPhone. I don't know about androids, but on iPhone, you have the podcast app. It's there. It's free. Just open it and search the latest with Lauren. The rose is what I keep telling people. But on that app, we made a list today. Yay. Keep it up, keep it up. Give it up. Your girl is charting. Now I now I see how, like, the rap girlies feel when you get, like, something on the Billboard chart. Like, you know what I mean? Top 15, top 20, top 10, top 2. So right now I'm ranked number 14 on Apple podcast, society and culture list. Podcast list. And this is a list that, like, ranks, you know, the podcasts that are making some noise when it comes to society and culture. I'm number 14. I was number 15, actually, when he posted it on his Instagram. I was at BET and I. I picked up my phone. I was like, oh, shoot, this is so lit. And then I went to go see it myself because I want to post it, and I was number 14. So I moved up one slot already. You know, the girl is outside. And then I started scrolling and looking, and I'm looking at, like, who else is on the the list? Like, who are my peers, y'all? When I tell y'all, I almost died. Oprah was on the list, y'all. Like, this is insane. So thank you guys so much for being here for downloading the podcast. Please continue to tell your friends about it because I want everybody to know that if you're looking for a great morning drive, you know what I mean? Like, just bite sized, good information. It's right here, baby, Period. But right now, we taking y'all to court. So the first thing I wanted to talk about was Drake. You guys know that Drake has been going back and forth with Universal Music Group over the song Not Like Us, even though he's positioning it and claiming that it's not specifically about the song. That is more so about the fact that his label did not protect him and that they allowed another artist on the label. Speaking of Kendrick Lamar to drop Not Like Us, which Drake and team say is a very defamatory song. It's dangerous, and there's no way that this should have been supported. So now he is suing. Okay, the lawsuit, there's been a lot of back and forth, but more recently, the Universal Music Group side of things said, you know what, Judge? This all is bs. Drake don't really. He doesn't honestly think that we did half of the stuff that he's claiming. He's claiming that they work with bots to make Not Like Us a bigger song than it was. He's claiming that they, you know, paid third party bloggers to talk about it, that they paid radio, like, just a ton of different things. Right. That he has claimed over some time. He's claiming everything but the song is a bop. And, baby, the song is a bop. Okay, he's claiming everything but what the truth is. For real. For real. What Drake did was kind of was a smart business play. He filed a motion basically asking to be able to discover, like, to look inside of Universal Music's group's, you know, all of their internal things and figure out if what he thinks is happening is really happening, or at least enough to get enough evidence to then go back to a judge and say, hey, here's what we have. And now we're moving forward with a lawsuit. A lot of times in defamation, people will tell you, like, defamation is one of the hardest things to prove because not only do you have to prove that the person in their intent was defamatory and that they meant to harm you to make it where you. You can't get money to make it where you can be harmed by what they're saying or what they're throwing on you. But also too, you have to really be able to prove loss, like really be able to prove it. Be almost like you really have to be able to prove this. So a lot of times people go right in with the lawsuit and normally that's because they have the evidence, they understand, you know, where they're standing legally and what they're going to lean in on. And what Drake did was, you know, he's like, okay, here's what I think is happening. Here's my long laundry list of things that I think is happening. But I want to go in and do I want to poke around a little bit because I need to figure out, like if I'm shooting, who's my target? Who's my target. I thought that that was actually pretty smart. I also thought that this was smart too, because if I'm Drake and you know, the conversation around us was that Drake, you know, was negotiating, you know, renegotiating with the label and trying to do all these things. If I'm doing that and I feel like my label isn't, you know what I mean, giving me full transparency on some stuff. The best way to get transparency about the stuff that I want, but also about me and how I impactful I am at this label in, in my numbers and all of that stuff is to see what you're doing across the room, to try and control my situation, to back me into a corner. And in discovery you get all of that. And there was a conversation that had come up in these legal filings about what Drake was actually requesting. You know, it's like emails and phone logs and all that stuff. But also more recently, some of the things that he had been his team, his legal team had been requesting was legal documents, including, you know, legal documents and agreements and things, contracts in relation to Kendrick Lamar. Now there was a pre trial conference that happened and judge Jeanette Vargas actually ruled that Universal Music Group's request to stay the discovery. So basically they were like, hold up, wait, Discovery? Why we gotta do all that? It's gonna cost us money, it's gonna cost us time. It makes no sense. Like we're a huge corporation. Why do we have to do all of this? Makes it like that. Their whole thing is, is Drake's really upset because he lost a rap battle. And as a, as a label, that is not our fault. We do our jobs, we promote our artists, we do what we do. But just because you Lost and you're upset. We're sorry, prima donna. There's nothing we could do about that. But today, Drake actually made some pretty good leeway today. A judge said, and, oh, yeah, and I want to mention Universal Music Group did ask for this. Like, when they said all that, they said, okay, and because of all that, we want this motion to be dismissed. We don't even want to have to deal with a case at all. And that is still going to be addressed in court, but we'll get there. But back to what happened today. So today a judge said, I'm going to deny Universal Music Group's request to state a discovery process and allow Drake to proceed with requesting access to documents, including Kendrick Lamar's contracts with the label. This is a huge win for Drake because if what Drake is claiming, you know what I mean? Like, all of these allegations he's been throwing, if there is anything to it that he can find, I don't know. I mean, I think that being able to go on the inside and see conversations and things like that, that's the. That's the best way to prove it. Now, I will say that one of the reporters that was in the courtroom, it's a Twitter account that I follow, it's called Inner City Press. They actually reported that Drake's team had, you know, had a back and forth with umg and that Drake's team decided that they were going to no longer move forward with the accusation that UMG paid bots, like these random bots to, like, you know, hyping up the song online and in these different places. And they said that they did that because that was just very incremental in their lawsuit. I think their biggest thing that they're focusing on are. Is what was said using the word pedophile on these big stages. And then Universal putting money behind. Allegedly, according to Drake, putting money behind, you know, all of this, like, all of this. Okay, let's, let's, let's, let's back big bad Drake down into a corner and use our big, powerful machine to do it. That's what they want to focus on. Now, I thought that that was interesting because normally when you have a case like this where there are multiple different claims, or even if it's like, so this is civil, Right. But even if it's criminal, if I'm an attorney and for the prosecutor, right. So that's the side that's trying to get you. Like, I'm trying to sit you down. If I'm a prosecutor, I'm not bringing up Charges that I don't think can sustain. I'm not gonna waste my time because if a jury or whoever sees, you know, that I'm alleging certain things and I want certain charges and they don't stick, it starts making everything seem. Everything else seems a little muddy. I thought that this was interesting for them to back up off of the bot thing. And they made it seem very small, very incremental. But to me, it wasn't to me. It said to me that I don't know if Drake's team really had enough or thought that they would have enough or thought that it was strong enough to be able to move forward with this whole bot thing. So them backing away from that I thought was like a little telltale sign of like, okay, so here's what they think is strong and that they can prove, and here's what they're like, that was cute and we mentioned it and maybe it is a thing, but we not wasting our time over there. Now what I think that this means is, I think that this means that the judge is looking at this from a perspective of like, what could it hurt if I allow it now? I don't care, you know, how much money, how much time it'll cost you. If we could do this now and he can find what he's looking for or not. We don't even got to do all the other stuff. We can, we literally can iron it out. Maybe a settlement can happen. Whatever this the case may be, that's how I think a judge is looking at it. Now, if I'm Universal Music Group, I'm sure that they're going to stand on. We have nothing to hide. But I think it just gets a little tricky when people are going into like contract negotiations and emails and phone conversations because you got to think about how big a record label is, right? You can't. If, if I'm the head of a record label, I can't guarantee that every single employee in my record label is doing what they supposed to be doing by the book, how they supposed to be doing it a lot of times because there's a lot of people involved, there's a lot of artists, there's a lot of money being, you know what I mean, moved around and, you know, songs dropping. You're just doing your job to get your job done for the overall accomplishment. And if I'm an exec at Universal, I can't, I don't even have a time to worry about certain day to day things. I just got to look at the high level and the high level of this is. It's like, okay, the song is charting okay. The song is moving on TikTok. How we got there? I'm just giving. I'm in good faith believing that my. You know what I mean? My employees are doing what they need to do. One misstep here, right? You have 30 employees, if about three of them, maybe even five, texting the wrong way about some things, exchanging money in a way that they might even not have known was not cool to do to get things placed or whatever the case may be in the vein of just trying to get the job done, even if it was innocent. Do y'all know how that will look in Drake's favorite Now I ain't gonna hold y'all. I don't think that this is gonna. I don't think this is going like, you know what I mean? Get him out of the not like us territory of like, okay, now some people look at you different. I really don't think that it will. I know that people are trying to make it like, okay, he's a martyr. He's sticking up for people that are behind these labels and blah, blah, blah. But, like, at the end of the day, Drake is still going to be Drake. Nokia is going crazy right now. Give me a hug. It's going crazy right now. Drake will always be able to Drake. If he loses this whole back and forth and there's nothing found and, you know, I mean, he just has to let it go. It makes him look like a crybaby if this goes nowhere. Because it's like, yo, you did all of that. I mean, this is how I feel. Y'all let me know how y'all feel. Tweet me @lauren larosa. Instagram @lauren larosa.

[Jeremy Scott]

Something unexpected happened after Jeremy Scott confessed to killing Michelle Schofield in Bone Valley season one.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I just knew him as a kid.

[Jeremy Scott]

Long, silent voices from his past came.

[Gilbert King]

Forward, and he was just staring at me.

[Jeremy Scott]

And they had secrets of their own to share.

[Gilbert King]

Gilbert King. I'm the son of Jeremy Lynn Scott.

[Jeremy Scott]

I was no longer just telling the story. I was part of it.

[Gilbert King]

Every time I hear about my dad is, oh, he's a killer. He's just straight evil.

[Jeremy Scott]

I was becoming the bridge between a killer and the son he'd never known.

[Gilbert King]

If the cops and everything would have done their job properly, my dad would have been in jail. I would have never existed.

[Jeremy Scott]

I never expected to find myself in this place. Now I need to tell you how.

[Gilbert King]

I got here at the end of the day. I'm literally a son of a killer.

[Jeremy Scott]

Bone Valley Season 2 Jeremy.

[Gilbert King]

Jeremy, I want to tell you something.

[Jeremy Scott]

Listen to new episodes of bone Valley Season 2 starting April 9 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts and to hear the entire new season ad free with exclusive content starting April 9th. Subscribe to Lava for Good plus on Apple Podcasts.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Young Thug Y'all remember on the last episode we talked about Young Scooter. We Talked about that 911 call and just a lot of things that were happening with Young Scooter, who is the rapper that passed away in Atlanta while fleeing from police. Now, there was a whole another issue happening at, at that same time with Young Scooter because Young Thug got on Twitter, he tweeted that Young Scooter all Topsy came out and that he was shot. Young Thug also tweeted out a woman who works in the DA's office and said that basically she was like the biggest liar in the DA's office. And, and, and this must. I think, I think Young Thug's whole point was like, there's some corruption here, police. But the way he went about it is not fairing well for him. He did end up having to delete the tweet, especially because the Fulton County Medical Examiner's office came out and again stood on business with what their autopsy really was, stating that rapper Young Scooter passed away because of a leg injury while trying to get away from police. But now prosecutors with the Fulton County District Attorney's office, they're, like, not happy about Young Thug's postings. They filed a motion to actually revoke his probation. Now here's what they say in the, in the document. They say, since sentencing, the defendant has engaged in conduct that threatens the safety of witnesses and prosecutors compromises ongoing legal proceedings and warrants immediate revoking of his probation. The motion continues to say that the integrity of this court and the safety of those involved in the prosecution are at stake. So you guys know that he, because he was going through it himself with, you know, the DA's offices and all that. If I was Thug, I wouldn't be tweeting a dang thing. I'll put it in a group chat. You're not gonna get me publicly speaking about nothing that goes against the court. No, judge, if y'all have not learned anything at this point from watching all these cases or anything you might be involved in yourself. The court is all about, like, empathy and respect for the court. But, baby, they don't play. They don't farewell with disrespect at all. Like, not at all. Now what they're referring to in this when they say that, you know, prosecutors and, and people that were put at stake is a tweet. I want to read you guys the actual tweet from the. He posted a photo of the woman. Her name is Marissa Verato. So this woman this week, because y'all had so much going on in the court. So at this same week, there's the whole court process happening for the seven men who were arrested in Atlanta. And apparently these men, you know, allegedly were somewhat tied to 4 PF and they remember there have been those reports of this whole like arrest warrant that was supposed to come down for little baby. I am told that that is still coming. I am not told that that is not something that is not going to happen. I did see reports this week of, you know, what I've already known. But she took the stand as a part of a preliminary hearing to determine if the seven men that were charged in the shooting Deaths of those two 13 year old boys in Atlanta will go to trial or not. So at the time that this is happening, Thug posts her photo and says that she is the biggest liar in the DA office. And after that happened, apparently she received like threats online. Her address, her, you know, her personal contact information was leaked. Family members personal contact information was leaked. Like it put her in harm's way is what the, you know, the prosecutor's office is basically saying. So now Thug gets online and he tweets in response, basically saying that he doesn't condone threats toward anyone, he's a good person, blah, blah. I don't know why Doug tweeted this lady out. Like, I think a lot of us are still trying to figure it out. It's like, why, like I wouldn't when I said I wouldn't want nothing to do with nothing. Honestly, take his whole account. Mariah the scientist, please take this man's account. If you want your man, your man, your man. Home girl. Deactivate that Twitter because it's just causing too much. Now, I don't know if something like this will actually cause for a judge to be like, you know what? Yep, probation revoked. Because he's obviously been keeping up on all of the other things. But what they're going to claim is that one of the things, you can't bring harm and danger to people, especially not somebody in DA's office, you're on probation, that's that. But I hope you guys have enjoyed this episode. This is episode four of the latest with Lauren the Rosa Please Share Talk Talk about this online Talk A friend to tell a friend. Y'all know I'm the home girl that knows a little bit about everything and everybody. And at the end of the day, I always tell you guys this because I appreciate it so much. There are so many places and so many people that you guys could be listening to. There's so much going on and you're always right here with me to do it. I love y'all for that. I'm signing out. I will see you guys in my next episode.

[Jeremy Scott]

Something unexpected happened after Jeremy Scott confessed to killing Michelle Schofield in Bone Valley Season one.

[Gilbert King]

Every time I hear about my dad is, oh, he's a killer. He's just straight evil.

[Jeremy Scott]

I was becoming the bridge between Jeremy Scott and the son he'd never known.

[Gilbert King]

At the end of the day, I'm literally a son of a killer.

[Jeremy Scott]

Listen to new episodes of bone Valley Season 2, starting April 9th, 9th on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.