Court Dismisses Drake's Defamation Lawsuit Against UMG Over Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us"

Summary

• Drake’s defamation lawsuit against UMG over Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” was dismissed by a US federal court
• The court ruled that, in the context of a rap battle, the song’s lyrics cannot be taken as facts
• Drake’s camp plans to appeal the ruling, while UMG called the suit an “affront to all artists”

Drake‘s defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG) over Kendrick Lamar‘s “Not Like Us” diss track has been dismissed by a US federal court.

As per THR, District Judge Jeannette Vargas explained that the context of the rap battle was necessary for listeners to fully understand the lyrics of “Not Like Us.” “The average listener is not under the impression that a diss track is the product of a thoughtful or disinterested investigation, conveying to the public fact-checked verifiable content,” Vargas wrote. The court further stated that the song’s tone and language doesn’t allow for it to be taken as facts.

Furthermore, the court disagreed with Drake’s suggestion that Dot’s “Rabbit hole is still deep, I can go further, I promise” lyric points to him having evidence that support his claims of pedophilia against Drake. “It is not at all clear that this is a natural reading of this lyric,” Vargas responded. “Even if this line was susceptible to such an interpretation standing alone, however, no reasonable listener could understand it in this way given the overall context.”

“From the outset, this suit was an affront to all artists and their creative expression and never should have seen the light of day,” a UMG rep said in a statement. “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.”

“We intend to appeal today’s ruling,” Drake’s camp said in a statement, “and we look forward to the Court of Appeals reviewing it.”

Drake accused UMG of defamation due to its release and promotion of “Not Like Us,” which included a line calling him a “Certified Lover Boy, certified pedophile.” He claimed that UMG prioritized “corporate greed over the safety and well-being of its artists” by allowing Lamar to drop the track despite knowing that the “inflammatory and shocking allegations” included in the song were false.