Drake's 'Not Like Us' defamation lawsuit dismissed

A federal judge has dismissed Drake’s defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar’s hit diss track “Not Like Us.”

The legal dispute between Drake and Lamar, which started in 2024 with a series of diss tracks, came to an end with this ruling.

Drake, whose real name is Aubrey Drake Graham, sued UMG in January in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. He accused UMG of defaming him by promoting “Not Like Us,” which includes lyrics suggesting he is a pedophile. Lamar was not a defendant in the lawsuit.

UMG, representing both Drake and Lamar under different divisions, responded in March with a motion to dismiss. The label argued that Drake’s lawsuit was an attempt to save face after his rap battle with Lamar.

U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas granted UMG’s motion to dismiss, stating that the lyrics in “Not Like Us” are considered opinion and not factual statements about Drake.

Drake’s lawsuit also accused UMG of artificially boosting Lamar’s track on Spotify through pay-to-play schemes and bots. The court found Drake’s claims based on unreliable online commentary and lacking evidence of harm to consumers.

Drake emphasized in his complaint that the lawsuit was not about Lamar but about the music company’s decision to publish false and dangerous allegations. He mentioned incidents of threats and violence towards him following the song's release.

Representatives for Drake, Lamar, and UMG did not immediately comment on the court's decision.