Drake Loses UMG Defamation Case Over Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” — Judge Rules Diss Track Is Protected Opinion

A New York judge just closed the book on Drake’s defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group, ruling that Kendrick Lamar’s record-breaking diss track “Not Like Us” was protected free speech, not a smear campaign.

U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas said Thursday that “a reasonable listener could not have concluded that ‘Not Like Us’ was conveying objective facts about Drake.”

Drake alleged that UMG helped promote damaging claims about him, including accusations of pedophilia, by backing Kendrick’s track and offering incentives to distributors. But the court wasn’t convinced.

“The average listener is not under the impression that a diss track is the product of a thoughtful or disinterested investigation,” Judge Vargas wrote.

UMG responded with a sharp statement: “From the outset, this suit was an affront to all artists and their creative expression and never should have seen the light of day.”

Drake’s team has not issued a comment.

The ruling ends another chapter in a rap feud that saw Kendrick’s “Not Like Us” become an anthem, even earning Grammy wins and a Super Bowl stage.