Drake is standing on business when it comes to legal action. The rapper filed petitions against major companies in both Texas and New York. IHeartMedia was one of these companies with regard to the Texas petition, but Drizzy has decided to drop them. Court documents submitted to the Bexar County District Court confirm the company is no longer being targeted for pre-suit discovery. Furthermore, it sounds like Drake and IHeartMedia were able to reach an agreement that was satisfying on both ends.
"Petitioner and iHeartMedia," the documents read. "Have reached an amicable resolution of the dispute to the satisfaction of both sides." Drake's legal team specified that the dismissal is "without prejudice," meaning the dismissal should not be applied to any of the claims in the petition that are against UMG. In other words, UMG is still in the rapper's crosshairs. The timing of the resolution is worth nothing, as the iHeartMedia company is currently being investigated by the FCC. The latter announced their intentions to look at iHeartMedia and determine whether radio stations have been boosting airplay of specific acts.
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IHeartMedia has been accused of boosting artists in an effort to get them to play at their IHeartCountry Festival for free. FCC chairman Brendan Carr made the commission's goal clear in a statement sent to iHeartMedia chairman and CEO Robert Pittman. "[We want] to know whether iHeart is effectively and secretly forcing musicians to choose," he wrote. "Between, one, receiving their usual, ordinary, and full scale compensation for performing or, two, receiving less favorable airplay on iHeart radio stations." It differs from the payola accusation Drake initially leveled at IHeartMedia, but it's in the same ballpark.
Drake's Texas petition is still moving forward with UMG. The rapper and his record label have had a fraught back and forth over the past few months. UMG has requested a pause be put to a conference slated for April 2. Drake's legal team fired back, however, criticizing the label for trying to slow down the case without proper cause. The rapper's attorney requested that the April 2 date be maintained, noting that UMG has had more than enough time to prepare.
