Drake has suffered a significant blow in his legal battle against Universal Music Group.
According to court documents obtained by Complex, U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas has dismissed Drake’s defamation lawsuit against the music corporation.
Drizzy sued UMG earlier this year, claiming that the company conspired with Kendrick Lamar to damage his reputation. The plaintiff specifically took issue with K.Dot’s 2024 track “Not Like Us,” in which the rapper suggested that Drake had sexual relations with minors.
“Certified Lover Boy? Certified pedophiles,” Kendrick rapped in the first verse, referring to Drake’s 2021 album Certified Lover Boy. “Why you trollin' like a bitch? Ain't you tired? Tryna strike a chord and it's probably A minor.”
In Thursday’s ruling, Vargas explained that Kendrick’s scathing lyrics “are nonactionable opinion” that do not qualify as defamation. The judge pointed out that Kendrick’s Grammy-winning track was released during his and Drake’s “vitriolic war of words,” which included eight diss tracks.
“The penultimate song of this feud, ‘Not Like Us’ by Kendrick Lamar, dealt the metaphorical killing blow,” the ruling read. “The song contains lyrics explicitly accusing Drake of being a pedophile, set to a catchy beat and propulsive bassline.”
Vargas stated that during “a heated public debate,” such as a rap beef, the audience expects the use of fiery rhetoric, hyperbole, and epithets, all of which are not actionable, as they cannot be objectively verified or proven false.
The Court holds, based upon a full consideration of the context in which ‘Not Like Us’ was published, that a reasonable listener could not have concluded that ‘Not Like Us’ was conveying objective facts about Drake,” the document read. “Although the accusation that Plaintiff is a pedophile is certainly a serious one, 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.”
Drake had also accused UMG of harassment and deceptive business practices involving the distribution of “Not Like Us.” He alleged the company used bots and payola to artificially boost the song’s popularity, which effectively harmed his brand value.
UMG argued that Drake’s accusations were baseless and Kendrick’s lyrics were protected by free speech. UMG responded to the dismissal in a statement to Billboard, saying the company was pleased with the outcome.
“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 spokesperson wrote. “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.”
Drake, meanwhile, apparently isn't letting the dismissal deter his resolve to fight against UMG and K.Dot.
“We intend to appeal today’s ruling, and we look forward to the Court of Appeals reviewing it,” a spokesperson for the rapper said in response to the ruling, per reporter Meghann Cuniff.