Topline

A federal judge in New York dismissed Drake’s defamation lawsuit against his own label Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us,” finding that the rapper’s lyrics in the song are “nonactionable opinion.”

Drake sued Universal Music Group, alleging defamation for distributing Kendrick Lamar’s song “Not Like Us.”

Getty ImagesKey Facts

Drake sued UMG, the label that distributes both his and Lamar’s music, in January—but notably did not sue Lamar himself.

The Canadian-born rapper instead blamed his label for its decision to “publish, promote, exploit, and monetize” Lamar’s allegations against him.

U.S. District Court Judge Jeannette Vargas dismissed the lawsuit Thursday, noting that despite containing “lyrics explicitly accusing Drake of being a pedophile,” the statements were still “nonactionable opinion.”

Vargas found that the likely audience understood Lamar’s track in the context of his feud with Drake, writing “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 factchecked verifiable content.”

A spokesperson for UMG praised the dismissal and called the lawsuit “an affront to all artists and their creative expression,” adding that the company would “look forward to continuing our work successfully promoting Drake’s music and investing in his career.”

Key Background

“Not Like Us” was released in the middle of an escalating feud between Drake and Lamar that began in early 2024. The feud produced a back-and-forth of singles from both artists and other rappers like J. Cole, including Drake’s “Family Matters,” “Push Ups,” and “Taylor Made Freestyle” and Lamar’s “Euphoria.” However, Lamar quickly became seen as the winner of the dispute after releasing “Not Like Us” in May 2024, which broke the Spotify streaming record for most plays in a single day and shot to the top of the Billboard charts. “Not Like Us” directly accused Drake of pedophilia, addressing the rapper with accusations like “I hear you like ’em young” and “Certified Lover Boy? Certified pedophile,” a reference to Drake’s 2021 album. Lamar was announced in September 2024 as the halftime show performer for Super Bowl LIX. During his performance at the big game in February, Lamar played “Not Like Us” and included some of the indirect references to Drake.