Drake lost his defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG) concerning Kendrick Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us”.
In a ruling issued on October 9, a federal judge determined that the statements in the song, specifically the claim that Drake is a “certified paedophile”, are considered a “non-actionable opinion”.
Judge Jeanette A. Vargas stated, “The issue in this case is whether ‘Not Like Us’ can reasonably be understood to convey as a factual matter that Drake is a paedophile or that he is engaged in a sexual relationship with minors.
A spokesperson for UMG commented, “From the outset, this suit was an affront to all artists and their creative expression and never should have seen the light of day. We’re pleased with the court’s dismissal and look forward to continuing our work successfully promoting Drake’s music and investing in this career”.
In response, a representative for Drake announced, “We intend to appeal today’s ruling, and we look forward to the Court of Appeals reviewing it”. The legal battle began last year when Drake filed a dispute against UMG in New York, alleging that the label had “artificially inflated” streams for “Not Like Us”, among other claims. Drake’s Frozen Moments LLC accused UMG and Spotify of “illegally” boosting the track’s streams in favour of Lamar, who had engaged in a viral rap feud with Drake.
In March, UMG filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, suggesting that Drake was retaliating after losing a rap battle. They argued that instead of accepting his defeat, he opted to sue his own record label in a misguided effort to cope with the loss.
Drake’s illegal team countered UMG’s argument, stating that many listeners did take Lamar’s words seriously. They asserted that the claim that “most listeners wouldn’t take ‘outrageous insults’ as facts” failed to consider the reality of how the public perceived the statements.
In related news, Kendrick Lamar recently headlined the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show, which featured guest appearances from SZA, Serena Williams and Samuel L Jackson. The performance, which included “Not Like Us”, was later recognised as most most-watched show in history.