Judge dismisses Drake’s defamation lawsuit over Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’
Drake has lost his defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group. The judge dismissed the case, revolving around Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’, in a ruling on October 9th.
In the lawsuit, filed in January, Drizzy accused his record label of valuing “corporate greed over the safety and well-being of its artists.”
His legal team claimed UMG “approved, published and launched a campaign to create a viral hit out of a rap track” that was “intended to convey the specific, unmistakable and false factual allegation that Drake is a criminal paedophile, and to suggest that the public should resort to vigilante justice in response.”
However, Judge Jeannette A Vargas put an end to the lawsuit in a ruling published this week, stating Kendrick’s lyrics were “non-actionable 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 paedophile or that he has engaged in sexual relations with minors,” she said. “In light of the overall context in which the statements in the Recording were made, the Court holds that it cannot.”
She added, “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.”
In a statement to Rolling Stone, a UMG spokesperson said, “From the outset, this suit was an affront to all artists and their creative expression and never should have seen the light of day. 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.”
Kendrick released his diss track, ‘Not Like Us’, as part of their feud in May 2024. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 and won five Grammys.
The Compton rapper made allegations against Drake with lyrics like, “Tryna strike a chord and it’s probably A minor,” and, “Certified Lover Boy? Certified paedophiles.”
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