Drake’s defamation lawsuit over Kendrick Lamar’s diss track is dismissed by a judge

09 October 2025

Drake performing in London in 2025; Kendrick Lamar performing in Miami in 2022. Credit: Simone Joyner/Getty for ABA; Jason Koerner/Getty

A courtroom showdown ended last week when a federal judge tossed out Drake’s high-stakes defamation suit against Universal Music Group, ruling that Kendrick Lamar’s hit track “Not Like Us” cannot be interpreted as making factual claims and must instead be viewed as protected opinion.

In the lawsuit, Drake had alleged that Lamar’s lyrics accusing him of being a “certified pedophile,” referencing a tendency to “like ’em young,” and calling for violent retribution crossed the line from artistic expression into defamation. He claimed those lines had not just damaged his reputation but had become ubiquitous in the marketplace, perpetuated by UMG in a campaign to amplify the controversy.

Judge Jeannette A. Vargas granted UMG’s motion to dismiss the suit. In her decision, she framed “Not Like Us” as a work of expressive art situated within a broader lyrical rivalry, noting that "allegedly defamatory statements" in diss tracks are inherently nonactionable as they are not statements of verifiable fact. She observed that the average listener would understand the track as hyperbole, metaphor, and opinion not a literal, factual assertion subject to defamation law.

One point the judge emphasized was context. She noted that “Not Like Us” did not exist in isolation but in the swirl of an ongoing rap feud, where provocative claims and lyrical conflict are norms. She also referenced Drake’s own prior lyrics, including lines in his “Taylor Made Freestyle”, as evidence that he had himself engaged in provocative discourse suggesting that the realm of rap should be understood as a unique domain of expressive license.

Universal Music Group reacted swiftly, releasing a statement calling the lawsuit “an affront to all artists and their creative expression,” and expressing satisfaction with the court’s ruling. A spokesperson for Drake announced intentions to appeal the decision, indicating a readiness to escalate the matter to a higher court.

Notably, Lamar was not named as a defendant in the suit Drake’s legal target was UMG, the distributor and promoter of “Not Like Us”. No public comment has emerged yet from Lamar’s representatives in response.

The ruling underscores a recurring tension in music and law: when do provocative lyrics cross from artistic license into legally actionable territory? In this case, the court prioritizes protection of expression, especially in genres like rap where hyperbole, metaphor, and rhetorical aggression are expected. The decision could set a precedent or reaffirm existing doctrine for how courts view lyrical disputes in music litigation.

For Drake, the dismissal is a setback, though not necessarily the end of the road. An appeal may resurface the debate in a higher court, potentially with broader implications. But for now the outcome is clear: “Not Like Us” remains in the domain of creative expression, not legal liability.