Drake’s lawsuit against UMG for Kendrick Lamar diss track gets dismissed

A court has rejected Drake’s slander case against Universal Music Group for Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us.

Judge Jeannette Vargas determined Lamar’s lyrics, which accused Drake and his friends of being “certified paedophiles”, were a “non-actionable opinion” and could not be considered defamatory.

Drake filed the complaint in January, charging Universal Music Group (UMG), the record company behind both rappers, with defamation by allowing the song to be released and marketed, stating it conveyed a “false and malicious narrative”.

Drake’s spokeswoman indicated he will appeal against the judgment. UMG said it was pleased with the outcome and looked forward to continuing its relationship with the Canadian star.

War of words

Not Like Us, which was published in May 2024, was primarily viewed as the decisive blow in an extended war between the opposing rappers.

It has been the most tremendous success of Lamar’s career, having earned five Grammys and being one of the most-talked-about moments of his Super Bowl halftime show in February.

In a 38-page judgment, Judge Vargas termed the conflict between the musicians “the most infamous rap battle in the genre’s history”.

“The artists’ seven-track rap battle was a ‘war of words’ that was the subject of substantial media scrutiny and online discourse,” the court ruled.

Kendrick Lamar performed Not Like Us during the 2025 Super Bowl halftime performance in New Orleans, Louisiana.

“Although the accusation that plaintiff is a pedophile is certainly a serious one, the broader context of a heated rap battle, with incendiary language and offensive accusations hurled by both participants, would not incline the reasonable listener to believe that ‘Not Like Us’ imparts verifiable facts about plaintiff.”

She also observed that, in an earlier song, Drake had “challenged Lamar to make the paedophilia accusations” that were in Not Like Us.

On the tune Taylor Made Freestyle, Drake utilized the AI-generated voice of Tupac Shakur to give Lamar guidance on how to win the rap duel.

“Talk about him likin’ young girls, that’s a gift from me,” the song stated.

“It is in this context in which such lyrics as ‘Say, Drake, I hear you like ’em young’ must be assessed,” wrote Judge Vargas.

“The similarity in the wording suggests strongly that this line is a direct callback to Drake’s lyrics in the prior song.”

‘An insult to artists’

Drake, whose actual name is Aubrey Graham, did not identify Lamar in the complaint.

His attorneys accused UMG of undertaking “a campaign to create a viral hit” out of a song that made the “false factual allegation that Drake is a criminal paedophile, and to suggest that the public should resort to vigilante justice in response”.

Ruling against Drake, Judge Vargas stated listeners would not expect “accurate factual reporting” from a diss track “replete with profanity, trash-talking, threats of violence, and figurative and hyperbolic language.”

She pointed out that Drake himself had participated in similar language, referencing a song in which the star “heavily” hinted that “Lamar is a domestic abuser”, and another where Drake “raps that he ‘heard’ that one of Lamar’s sons may not be biologically his.”

Regarding Lamar’s song, Judge Vargas said: “Even apparent statements of fact may assume the character of statements of opinion… when uttered in public discussion, heated labor dispute, or other conditions in which an audience may expect the use of epithets, furious language or hyperbole.”

Responding to the dismissal, a UMG spokeswoman said: “From the outset, this lawsuit was an affront to all artists and their creative expression and never should have seen the light of day”.

“We’re pleased with the court’s dismissal and look forward to continuing our work successfully promoting Drake’s music and investing in his career,” the representative stated.

A spokesman for Drake said the musician intends to appeal the verdict, “and we look forward to the Court of Appeals reviewing it”.

Lamar has yet to comment on the situation.

Source: BBC.com