A federal judge has dismissed Drake’s high-profile defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG) over Kendrick Lamar’s chart-topping diss track Not Like Us, ruling that the fiery lyrics were clearly artistic expression rather than factual claims.
In her decision issued Thursday, Judge Jeannette Vargas concluded that Lamar’s “certified pedophile” line could not reasonably be viewed as a literal accusation.
She called the song part of a “heated rap battle filled with exaggeration, insults, and bravado,” adding that “a reasonable listener would not interpret such statements as verifiable facts.”
Drake’s complaint, filed earlier this year, argued that UMG defamed him by promoting and distributing the song, which he said convinced millions that the lyric was true.
The rapper also accused his longtime label of amplifying the track’s reach through marketing strategies he described as “malicious.”
UMG moved quickly to dismiss the case, asserting that battle-rap taunts are constitutionally protected speech. The company’s attorneys argued that Drake himself had used similarly inflammatory language during the feud, including lyrics implying Lamar was abusive.
Judge Vargas sided entirely with UMG, writing that diss tracks are “a genre defined by hyperbole” and cannot be judged by the same standards as factual reporting.
She noted that Drake’s own responses in songs like Family Matters relied on “provocative and speculative insults,” reinforcing the artistic context of the dispute.
Drake’s legal team said in a statement that they intend to appeal the ruling. UMG, meanwhile, welcomed the outcome, calling the lawsuit “an attack on creative freedom that never should have been filed.”
Released in May 2024 amid a months-long lyrical war between the two stars, Not Like Us became a viral sensation, topping charts, dominating social media, and later earning five Grammy Awards, including Record and Song of the Year.
Lamar even performed it during the Super Bowl halftime show, turning a diss into a defining pop-culture moment.
With the dismissal, the case ends almost as quickly as it began, but the feud that fueled it will likely echo in hip-hop history for years to come.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ