Drake’s federal lawsuit against his own record label, Universal Music Group (UMG)for the company’s involvement promoting Kendrick Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us” is officially over after a federal judge threw it out on Thursday (October 9), reports The Associated Press. In her ruling, Judge Jeannette A. Vargas stated that the song is a series of opinions, not defamatory allegations, and listeners were aware of such.
“Although the accusation that Plaintiff (Drake) is a pedophile is certainly a serious one, the broader context of a heated rap battle, with incendiary language and offensive accusations hurled by both participants, would not incline the reasonable listener to believe that ‘Not Like Us’ imparts verifiable facts about Plaintiff,” wrote Judge Vargas.
In the lawsuit, Drake also claimed the popularity of “Not Like Us” was to blame for attempted break-ins to his Toronto residence and a security guard getting shot. The single artwork depicts an aerial view of his mansion from Google Maps and overlaid with “more than a dozen sex offender markers,” which Judge Vargas said were “obviously exaggerated and doctored.” She added, “No reasonable person would view the image and believe that in fact law enforcement had designated thirteen residents in Drake’s home as sex offenders.”
After the lawsuit was thrown out yesterday, Drake’s legal team released a statement, saying, “We intend to appeal today’s ruling, and we look forward to the Court of Appeals reviewing it.”
UMG shared its own update following the ruling, stating: “From the outset, this suit was an affront to all artists and their creative expression and should never 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 his career.”
Drake filed the lawsuit against UMG back in January, alleging that the major label intentionally published and promoted “Not Like Us” despite knowing it contained false and defamatory allegations against Drake and suggested listeners resort to vigilante justice. Drake claimed the single irreparably damaged his reputation and decreased his brand’s value.
UMG’s lawyers asked the court to dismiss the case, framing the feud between Drake and Lamar as “not unique in the world of rap”—going so far as to compliment Drake as “a prolific rap feud combatant” for his diss tracks with Pusha T and Meek Mill—and pointed out that the back-and-forth battle included other songs with unique accusations that Drake omitted from the lawsuit.
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