Judge Dismisses Drake's 'not Like Us' Defamation Lawsuit Against Umg

A national judge has dismissed Drake’s defamation suit against Universal Music Group complete Kendrick Lamar’s deed diss track “Not Like Us.”

The ruling marks nan ineligible culmination of a prolific feud betwixt Drake and Lamar that spanned overmuch of 2024, erstwhile nan 2 rappers dropped a slew of tracks aimed astatine each other.

In January, Drake, whose existent sanction is Aubrey Drake Graham, sued his grounds explanation successful nan U.S. District Court for nan Southern District of New York, accusing UMG of defaming him by promoting “Not Like Us,” which contains lyrics accusing Drake of being a pedophile. (Lamar was not named arsenic a suspect successful nan suit.)

UMG, which represents some Drake and Lamar done different divisions, fired back successful March pinch a mobility to dismiss, claiming nan suit was “no much than Drake’s effort to prevention look for his unsuccessful rap battle” pinch Lamar.

In her determination connected Thursday, U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas granted nan grounds label’s mobility to dismiss, stating that “the allegedly defamatory statements successful ‘Not Like Us’ are nonactionable opinion.”

“The rumor successful this lawsuit is whether ‘Not Like Us’ tin reasonably beryllium understood to convey arsenic a actual matter that Drake is simply a pedophile aliases that he has engaged successful intersexual relations pinch minors,” nan judge stated successful nan decision. “In ray of nan wide discourse successful which nan statements successful nan Recording were made, nan Court holds that it cannot.”

In his lawsuit, Drake had besides accused UMG of colluding to “artificially inflate” Lamar’s “Not Like Us” connected Spotify, including by utilizing pay-to-play schemes, bots and different tactics.

“Not Like Us” was nan bestselling rap signaling of 2024, and Lamar swept this year’s Grammy Awards, taking location 5 wins. He headlined nan Super Bowl halftime show successful February, wherever nan crowd loudly sang on arsenic he performed nan diss track.

In Vargas’ determination Thursday, she stated that Drake’s claims were based connected “unreliable online commentary” successful nan shape of societal media posts.

Ultimately, nan tribunal stated, Drake “fails to supply immoderate facts aliases circumstances that would make it ‘highly plausible’ that UMG conducted specified covert business tactics,” and his title additionally grounded to show “how immoderate of nan deceptive practices allegedly utilized by UMG harmed consumers.”

In his original complaint, Drake had emphasized that nan suit is “not about” Lamar but alternatively that it is aimed astatine “the euphony institution that decided to publish, promote, exploit, and monetize allegations that it understood were not only false, but dangerous.”

It mentioned respective instances of assailants attempting to frighten Drake astatine his location past May successful nan days aft nan opus was released, including 1 lawsuit of a gunman shooting and wounding his information guard.

Representatives for Drake and Lamar did not instantly respond to a petition for comment.

A spokesperson for UMG said nan explanation is “pleased pinch nan court’s dismissal and look[s] guardant to continuing our activity successfully promoting Drake’s euphony and investing successful his career.”

“From nan outset, this suit was an affront to each artists and their imaginative look and ne'er should person seen nan ray of day,” nan spokesperson said successful a statement.