Drake’s Defamation Lawsuit Over Kendrick Lamar Dismissed/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ A judge has dismissed Drake’s defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar’s hit “Not Like Us.” The court ruled that the lyrics are opinion and not factual claims. Drake’s legal team plans to appeal the decision.
Drake Defamation Lawsuit Dismissal Quick Looks
- Federal judge ruled Kendrick Lamar’s lyrics are protected opinion.
- “Not Like Us” deemed part of a heated rap battle context.
- Judge stated no reasonable listener would take lyrics as factual.
- Drake filed suit against Universal Music Group in January 2025.
- UMG said lawsuit challenged creative expression and was baseless.
- Drake’s team announced plans to appeal the court’s decision.
- Lamar’s song became a 2024 cultural flashpoint and Grammy winner.
- The cover art included doctored imagery suggesting sex offender labels.
- The court emphasized hyperbole and satire in hip-hop dis tracks.
- Judge referenced escalating lyrical feud between Drake and Lamar.
Drake’s Defamation Lawsuit Over Kendrick Lamar Dismissed
Deep Look
A federal judge has dismissed a defamation lawsuit brought by global rap superstar Drake against Universal Music Group (UMG), ruling that lyrics from Kendrick Lamar’s hit song “Not Like Us” do not constitute factual claims and are instead protected expressions of opinion.
Judge Jeannette A. Vargas handed down the decision in New York, firmly concluding that the track’s accusations — including references to Drake as a pedophile — fall within the bounds of creative hyperbole, especially in the context of an ongoing, heated rap battle.
Drake filed the lawsuit in January 2025, claiming that UMG, which represents both artists, knowingly promoted and distributed a song that made “false and defamatory” statements. However, in her written opinion, Judge Vargas emphasized that dis tracks — especially those in hip-hop — are not journalistic documents meant to convey verifiable truth, but performative pieces intended to provoke and entertain.
“Although the accusation that Plaintiff is a pedophile is certainly a serious one,” Vargas wrote, “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.”
The song in question was a cultural juggernaut in 2024, not only topping charts but also winning Grammy Awards for both Record and Song of the Year. “Not Like Us” also featured prominently in the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show, fueling speculation ahead of Lamar’s performance. Although Lamar did perform the song, he reportedly altered the lyrics during the broadcast.
Drake’s lawsuit did not name Kendrick Lamar directly but centered its claims on UMG’s role in promoting the song. According to the lawsuit, the track damaged Drake’s brand and reputation, and allegedly incited real-world consequences — including a shooting at his Toronto estate and attempted break-ins, both events that Drake’s team partially attributed to the song’s inflammatory content.
One particularly controversial aspect was the single’s cover art, which displayed an aerial photograph of Drake’s residence marked with over a dozen “sex offender” labels. Judge Vargas dismissed this element as an exaggerated visual tactic.
“No reasonable person would view the Image and believe that in fact law enforcement had designated thirteen residents in Drake’s home as sex offenders,” she wrote.
In response to the ruling, UMG released a strongly worded statement, celebrating the decision as a victory for artistic freedom.
“From the outset, this suit was an affront to all artists and their creative expression and never should have seen the light of day,” the label stated.
“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.”
Despite the setback, Drake’s legal team indicated that the battle is not over. “We intend to appeal today’s ruling, and we look forward to the Court of Appeals reviewing it,” they said in a statement.
The legal dispute stems from what Judge Vargas called “perhaps the most infamous rap battle in the genre’s history,” beginning in spring 2024. Drake’s April 2024 track “Push Ups” mocked Lamar’s physical stature and success, while Lamar responded with “Euphoria,” criticizing Drake’s fashion sense and authenticity. Tensions escalated rapidly, culminating in “Not Like Us,” which many fans and critics described as a career-defining moment for Lamar.
Judge Vargas noted that the genre itself — particularly in the format of dis tracks — is “replete with profanity, trash-talking, threats of violence, and figurative and hyperbolic language.”
Such elements, she argued, are classic indicators that the content is meant to be opinion-based performance, not factual reporting.
“A reasonable listener,” she concluded, “would conclude that Lamar is rapping hyperbolic vituperations,” not making objective claims.
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