Kendrick Lamar is probably laughing up his sleeve: Drake’s “Not Like Us” lawsuit against Universal Music remains unsuccessful.
A US court has dismissed Drake’s defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group. Kendrick Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us” is covered by the right to freedom of expression.
Editorial recommendations
In the song, one of the most successful tracks of 2024, Lamar portrays Drake, among other things, as a pedophile. As “CNN” reported, the responsible judge Jeannette A. Vargas decided that the controversial text was still covered by freedom of expression and artistic freedom. The song is an expression of a subjective opinion and not a statement of fact. Therefore, Drake could not sue for defamation.
“Not Like Us” is not about facts
“The average listener does not have the impression that a diss track is the result of careful or unbiased investigation and provides the public with fact-checked, verifiable content,” Vargas wrote in her ruling “CNN”.
She continued: “The broader context of a heated rap battle involving inflammatory language and offensive accusations from both participants would not lead the reasonable listener to believe that ‘Not Like Us’ conveys verifiable facts about Drake.”
Drake sued his own label
Drake did not sue Lamar himself or accuse him of any wrongdoing. The proceedings were directed exclusively against the record label UMG, to which Drake is signed. He is part of Republic Records, which is owned by UMG, while Lamar is signed to Interscope Records – also a UMG company. UMG had released and promoted Lamar’s diss track. Drake accused the label of putting corporate greed over the safety and well-being of its artists.
Team wants to appeal
The ruling concludes Drake’s case against Universal Music, but he plans to appeal. “We intend to appeal today’s ruling and look forward to the appeals court’s review,” a spokesman for Drake told CNN on Thursday (October 9).
UMG also commented on the verdict. “This lawsuit has been an insult to all artists and their creative expression from the start and should never have come to light,” a spokesperson for the label said the same day, according to CNN. “We are pleased with the court’s dismissal of the lawsuit and look forward to continuing our work to successfully promote Drake’s music and invest in his career.”
“Not Like Us” won awards at the Grammy Awards, earned the most streams worldwide on Apple Music and helped make Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show the most-watched ever.