Less than a year after Drake filed a massive defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG) over lyrics in Kendrick Lamar‘s scathing diss track, “Not Like Us,” a judge has thrown the case out.
The ruling is another loss for the Canadian rapper, who was aiming to use the case as a means to remedy his reputation that was greatly damaged by Kendrick Lamar’s grave allegations.
The ruling has been hailed as a victory for artistic freedom. US Federal Judge Jeannette Vargas dismissed the lawsuit.
Why did Drake sue Universal Music Group?
Drake had attempted to hold Universal Music Group (UMG), the label for both artists, responsible for publishing and promoting Lamar’s viral diss track “Not Like Us”, whose lyrics accused Drake and his associates of being “certified paedophiles.”
Drake claimed the music company “launched a campaign to create a viral hit out of a rap track” that was “intended to convey the false factual allegation that Drake is a criminal pedophile.”
However, in a blistering 38-page order, Judge Vargas ruled that no “reasonable listener” would take the incendiary lyrics as “verifiable facts” about the plaintiff, as reported by TMZ.
This verdict effectively slams the door on Drake’s attempt to use the courts to win a battle he decisively lost on the charts and the streets.
Judge sides with Kendrick Lamar in UMG Lawsuit
The BBC reports that Judge Jeanneatte Vargas’ 38-page order meticulously picked apart Drake’s central argument, placing the accusations squarely in the context of the “most infamous rap battle in the genre’s history”.
Judge Vargas was blunt: listeners do not expect “accurate factual reporting” from a diss track “replete with profanity, trash-talking, threats of violence, and figurative and hyperbolic language.”
Adding serious salt to Drake’s injury, the judge noted that Drake himself had effectively “challenged Lamar to make the paedophilia accusations” in the first place.
She referenced Drake’s earlier track, “Taylor Made Freestyle,” where he used an AI-generated voice of Tupac Shakur to advise Lamar: “Talk about him likin’ young girls, that’s a gift from me.” The judge noted that Lamar’s line – “Say, Drake, I hear you like ’em young” – was a direct and deliberate “callback” to Drake’s own words, suggesting he essentially greenlit the very accusation he later sued over.
The judge also pointed out the hypocrisy of Drake’s position, noting he had engaged in similar high-stakes, unproven claims, such as heavily implying Lamar is a domestic abuser and suggesting one of Lamar’s sons may not be his biological child.
The judge concluded that the courtroom is simply no place to settle rap scores.
A fresh blow to Drake’s brand?
The legal dismissal compounds what was already a significant artistic loss for Drake.
“Not Like Us,” the song at the centre of the drama, has become a colossal hit.
It won five awards at the 66th Grammys, including Song of the Year and Record of the Year. It was also one of the most-talked-about moments of his Super Bowl halftime show that same month.
The song was widely seen as the decisive blow in the musical beef, and Drake’s subsequent lawsuit, which failed to even name Lamar and instead went after his own record label, was seen as a desperate move to save face.
UMG’s response to the dismissal was a thinly veiled jab at their superstar.
A spokesperson stated, “From the outset, this lawsuit was an affront to all artists and their creative expression and never should have seen the light of day.”
Drake Is Not Backing Down
While the Federal Judge might have tossed out Drake’s case, the rapper is not backing down. His Lawyers have communicated their intentions to appeal the ruling.
“We intend to appeal today’s ruling, and we look forward to the Court of Appeals reviewing it,” a spokesperson for the rapper said on Thursday, as per Variety.
Until the Appeals Court says otherwise, Drake’s case against UMG is effectively over, in what is another massive setback in his efforts to repair his image and street credibility.
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