A US federal court has dismissed Drake’s high-profile defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG), delivering a decisive victory for artistic expression in hip-hop. Judge Jeannette Vargas of the Southern District of New York ruled on Thursday, October 9, that Kendrick Lamar’s controversial diss track ‘Not Like Us’ constitutes protected opinion rather than actionable defamation.
Court Finds Diss Track Lyrics Are Opinion, Not Fact
Judge Vargas granted UMG’s motion to dismiss all claims, determining that accusations made about Drake in the song’s lyrics cannot reasonably be interpreted as statements of fact. The ruling emphasized the importance of context, specifically noting the heated nature of the rap battle between the two artists.
In her comprehensive 38-page opinion, the judge stressed that understanding the broader context of the Drake-Kendrick Lamar feud was essential to interpreting how a reasonable listener would perceive the lyrics. The court explicitly rejected Drake’s arguments that the song should be evaluated in isolation from other diss tracks released during the exchange.
“The songs released during this rap battle are in dialogue with one another and must be read together to fully assess how the general audience would perceive the statements,” Judge Vargas wrote in her opinion.
UMG Celebrates Victory for Artistic Expression
A spokesperson for Universal Music Group issued a statement celebrating the dismissal, framing it as a win for creative freedom across the music industry.
“From the outset, this suit was an affront to all artists and their creative expression and never should have seen the light of day,” the UMG representative told Music Business Worldwide. “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.”
The statement underscores the awkward position UMG found itself in, as both Drake and Kendrick Lamar release their music through the company—Drake via Republic Records and Lamar through Interscope Records.
The Rap Battle That Sparked Legal Action
‘Not Like Us’ was released on May 4, 2024, as the penultimate track in what Judge Vargas described as “perhaps the most infamous rap battle in the genre’s history.” Over an intense 16-day period, Drake and Lamar released eight diss tracks in total, each featuring increasingly inflammatory rhetoric aimed at damaging the other’s reputation.
Commercial Success Despite Controversy
Despite—or perhaps because of—the controversy, ‘Not Like Us’ achieved remarkable commercial success. The track accumulated over 1.4 billion streams on Spotify, won Record of the Year at the Grammy Awards, and was performed during the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show, reaching an audience of 133.5 million viewers.
Drake’s Defamation Claims Examined
Drake filed his lawsuit in January 2025, alleging that UMG “intentionally published and promoted” the song despite knowing that its “insinuations that he has sexual relations with minors were false and defamatory.” These serious allegations formed the core of Drake’s defamation claims against the music giant.
However, the court found that given the context of an ongoing rap battle characterized by hyperbolic insults and competitive posturing, reasonable listeners would interpret the lyrics as opinion and artistic expression rather than factual assertions.
Additional Claims Also Dismissed
Beyond defamation, Drake brought claims for harassment and violations of New York General Business Law Section 349. He alleged that UMG engaged in deceptive practices, including using bots and payola schemes to artificially inflate the song’s popularity and streaming numbers.
Judge Vargas dismissed these claims as well, finding no private right of action for harassment under the statutes Drake cited. The court also determined there was insufficient evidence of consumer harm to support the business law violations.
Implications for Hip-Hop and Artistic Freedom
This ruling carries significant implications for the hip-hop industry and artistic expression more broadly. Diss tracks have been a foundational element of rap culture since the genre’s inception, with artists using competitive rhetoric, exaggeration, and provocative language as standard creative tools.
Had the court ruled in Drake’s favor, it could have created a chilling effect on artistic expression in hip-hop, potentially making artists and labels hesitant to release confrontational music for fear of legal consequences. The dismissal preserves the longstanding tradition of competitive lyricism that has driven some of hip-hop’s most memorable moments and creative innovations.
What’s Next for Drake and UMG
Despite the legal defeat, UMG has publicly committed to continuing its promotional relationship with Drake, one of the most commercially successful artists in the label’s roster. The company’s statement emphasizes its intention to keep “successfully promoting Drake’s music and investing in his career,” suggesting the lawsuit won’t damage their business relationship moving forward.
For Kendrick Lamar, the ruling validates his artistic choices during one of rap’s most-watched feuds, allowing ‘Not Like Us’ to stand as protected speech within the context of competitive hip-hop culture.