A U.S. federal judge has officially dismissed Drake’s defamation suit against Universal Music Group (UMG) over the release and marketing of Kendrick Lamar’s firecracker diss song “Not Like Us.”
The song, which became a cultural lightning rod amid the two friends’ intense beef, included Lamar referring to Drake as a “certified pedophile,” a lyric that generated widespread outrage and ultimately prompted Drake to file the lawsuit.
In her 38-page decision released Thursday, District Judge Jeannette Vargas held Lamar’s statements in “Not Like Us” were “expressions of opinion” and not factual assertions, and thus not defamatory. Judge Vargas stated that the song, a featured cut in a high-profile rap feud, couldn’t reasonably be interpreted as communicating verified or factual information.
“Nobody is thinking the average listener that a diss track is the result of a careful or uninterested research, communicating to the public fact-checked verifiable information,” Vargas wrote. She also clarified that in the larger context of hip-hop feuds, “offensive accusations and inflammatory words” are tools of the art, not statements which have to be taken as factual.
Drake, who vehemently denied the claims suggested in Lamar’s rap, also sued UMG this year, claiming that his own label’s parent entity had harmed his reputation by distributing and promoting the song. Lamar, whose Interscope Records label falls under the UMG umbrella, was not personally sued or alleged to have done anything wrong.
The court’s dismissal is already being considered as a significant win for Universal Music Group, which had always argued that Drake’s case was “illogical” and “frivolous.” UMG’s lawyers argued that the lawsuit could not differentiate between creative expression and factual assertion – a differentiation essential to safeguard freedom of artistic speech.
The decision reaffirms what fans and artists already know – diss tracks are art, not testimony under oath,” a UMG representative said in reaction to the ruling.
Drake first brought the suit in January, and the case had reached the discovery stage before Judge Vargas made the ruling that put it on hold. Although the ruling puts this chapter in the lawsuit books, Drake may still appeal.
The legal drama stems from one of the most intense rap feuds in recent memory. Throughout 2024, Drake and Lamar traded increasingly personal and controversial diss tracks, with Lamar’s “Not Like Us” emerging as the defining blow. The song not only topped charts but also became a pop culture moment, earning multiple Grammy Awards earlier this year. Lamar even included it in his acclaimed Super Bowl halftime show performance in February.
The ruling highlights the greater protection given to artistic freedom in rap battles – a form where exaggeration, insult, and hyperbole are established traditions. Legal scholars comment that the ruling can be used as a point of reference in future cases on the limits of lyrical freedom.
For the moment, Drake’s legal campaign has come up short, and Lamar’s “Not Like Us” remains the de facto anthem of their beef – and a testament to how far hip-hop battles can go in terms of sparking creativity and controversy.
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