🔗 Share this article

A court official has thrown out Drake's defamation lawsuit targeting Universal Music Group concerning Kendrick Lamar’s song Not Like Us.

Presiding Judge Jeannette Vargas determined that Lamar's lyrics, which accused Drake and his crew of being "certified paedophiles", were "protected opinion" and cannot be considered libelous.

The Canadian rapper filed the lawsuit in January, accusing Universal Music Group, the music company behind both artists, of defamatory conduct by permitting the track to be published and marketed, stating it disseminated a "untrue and harmful story".

The artist’s representative stated he planned to challenge the decision. Universal Music Group expressed it was satisfied with the result and was eager to resuming its collaboration with the rapper.

Context of the Rap Battle

Not Like Us, which was initially released in spring 2024, was broadly viewed as the decisive blow in an ongoing battle between the competing artists.

It has become the biggest hit of Lamar's career, having received multiple Grammy awards and being one of the most-discussed highlights of his Super Bowl performance in February.

In a 38-page order, Judge Vargas called the row between the artists "the most notorious hip-hop feud in the genre's history".

"The artists' seven-track rap battle was a 'verbal conflict' that was the focus of substantial media scrutiny and online discourse," the judge noted.

"While the claim that plaintiff is a pedophile is undoubtedly a serious one, the broader context of a heated rap battle, with incendiary language and insulting claims exchanged by both participants, would not lead the average audience to believe that 'Not Like Us' imparts truthful statements about plaintiff."

She also noted that, in an earlier song, the artist had "challenged his rival to make the pedophile claims" that appeared in the diss record.

On the song Taylor Made Freestyle, the rapper used the synthetic vocals of the late rapper to give Lamar advice on how to win the rap battle.

"Suggest he has a preference for minors, consider that a tip," the song proposed.

"It is in this context in which such lyrics as 'Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young' must be assessed," stated the court.

"The parallel in the wording suggests strongly that this lyric is a clear reference to the artist’s own words in the prior song."

'An Affront to Artists'

The musician, whose legal name is Aubrey Graham, did not name his rival in the lawsuit.

His legal team accused UMG of initiating "an effort to create a popular song" out of a release that made the "untrue claim that Drake is a criminal paedophile, and to suggest that the audience should turn to extra-legal action in response".

Ruling against the plaintiff, Judge Vargas said fans would not expect "truthful accounts" from a diss track "replete with profanity, insults, threats of violence, and figurative and hyperbolic language."

She pointed out that Drake himself had used similar language, quoting a line in which the star "heavily" implied that "his opponent is a spouse beater", and a separate instance where he "raps that he 'heard' that one of Lamar's sons may not be his biological offspring."

Concerning Lamar's song, Judge Vargas said: "Even apparent statements of fact may assume the character of subjective views... when made in open discourse, intense arguments, or similar situations in which an audience may anticipate the use of slurs, passionate language or hyperbole."

Responding to the dismissal, a label representative said: "From the outset, this case was an insult to every creative and their artistic freedom and should not have seen the light of day."

"We're pleased with the judge’s ruling and are eager to resuming our work effectively promoting Drake's music and supporting his artistic path," the representative added.

A spokesperson for Drake said the rapper intended to contest the decision, "and we look forward to the Court of Appeals reviewing it".

Kendrick Lamar has not yet comment on the case.