“The issue in this case is whether ‘Not Like Us’ can reasonably be understood to convey as a factual matter that Drake is a pedophile or that he has engaged in sexual relations with minors,” Vargas wrote. “In light of the overall context in which the statements in the Recording were made, the Court holds that it cannot.”
A federal court has dismissed Drake’s defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group, which claimed that Kendrick Lamar’s diss track, “Not Like Us,” damaged his reputation.
According to NBC News, the ruling likely marks the legal culmination of a longstanding and highly-publicized feud between the two artists. Throughout much of 2024, both rappers—Drake, and Lamar—released a series of insulting tracks targeting one another.
In his lawsuit, Drake, whose real name is Aubrey Drake Graham, accused Universal Music Group of defaming him by promoting “Not Like Us,” which contains lyrics that suggest Drake is a pedophile or otherwise sexually interested in underage girls.
However, in its own filings, Universal Music Group said that the lawsuit is little more than “Drake’s attempt to save face for his unsuccessful rap battle” with Lamar.
In her Thursday ruling, U.S. District Judge Jeanette Vargas granted Universal’s request for a dismissal, finding that “the allegedly defamatory statements in ‘Not Like Us’ are nonactionable opinion.”
“The issue in this case is whether ‘Not Like Us’ can reasonably be understood to convey as a factual matter that Drake is a pedophile or that he has engaged in sexual relations with minors,” Vargas wrote. “In light of the overall context in which the statements in the Recording were made, the Court holds that it cannot.”
NBC News notes that Drake’s claims did go somewhat further than accusing Universal of promoting a diss track with an unsavory undertone: he charged the studio with conspiring to “artificially inflate” Lamar’s track on Spotify, using pay-to-paly schemes, bots, and other potentially unlawful tactics.
Nevertheless, Vargas said that Drake ultimately failed to “provide any facts or circumstances that would make it ‘highly plausible’ that UMG conducted such covert business tactics.” Additionally, he was unable to demonstrate “how any of the deceptive practices allegedly utilized by UMG harmed consumers.”
Drake’s original lawsuit emphasized that his claims were “not about” Lamar; instead, the artist explicitly targeted Universal Music Group, because the company “decided to publish, promote, exploit, and monetize allegations that it understood were not only false, but dangerous.”
A spokesperson for Universal Music Group has since said that the studio is “pleased with the court’s dismissal and look[s] forward to continuing our work successfully promoting Drake’s music and investing in his career.”
“From the outset, this suit was an affront to all artists and their creative expression and never should have seen the light of day,” Universal Music Group said in a statement.
Sources
Drake’s lawsuit over Kendrick Lamar diss track is dismissed
Judge dismisses Drake’s ‘Not Like Us’ defamation lawsuit against UMG
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