A federal judge in New York tossed out a defamation lawsuit that Drake brought against Universal Music Group, ruling that lyrics branding the superstar as a pedophile in Kendrick Lamar’s Grammy-winning diss track “Not Like Us” were opinion.
Judge Jeannette A. Vargas on Thursday rejected the suit in a written opinion that began by citing “the vitriolic war of words” and saying the case arose “from perhaps the most infamous rap battle in the genre’s history.”
Filed in January, the lawsuit alleged that UMG published and promoted “Not Like Us” even though it included false pedophilia allegations against Drake and suggested listeners should resort to vigilante justice.
The lawsuit also alleged that the track tarnished his reputation and decreased the value of his brand.
Lamar was not named in the lawsuit.
Universal Music Group, the parent record label for both artists, had denied the allegations.
“From the outset, this suit was an affront to all artists and their creative expression and never should have seen the light of day,” a UMG spokesperson told CBS News in a statement Thursday. “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.”
A spokesperson for Drake told CBS News in a statement, “We intend to appeal today’s ruling, and we look forward to the Court of Appeals reviewing it.”
CBS News has also reached out to representatives for Lamar for comment.
UMG owns both Interscope, Lamar’s label, and Republic Records, where Drake has spent his entire career.
In February, Drake reached a settlement with iHeartMedia in a separate court complaint filed in Texas over “Not Like Us.”
In that complaint, Drake alleged that iHeartMedia had received illegal payments from UMG to boost radio airplay for “Not Like Us.” iHeartMedia and UMG denied the allegations.
And in November 2024, Drake also filed a similar complaint in New York against streaming giant Spotify and UMG, accusing them of conspiring to inflate streams of “Not Like Us.” Both companies have also denied those claims.
Lamar and Drake have been beefing for years, with the two rappers releasing several diss tracks about one another. The feud appeared to reach its height when Lamar called out Drake during his Super Bowl Halftime Show in February.
In “Not Like Us,” which was released in May 2024, Lamar makes disturbing accusations about Drake allegedly having inappropriate conduct with minors. He also makes similar allegations about Drake’s friends and continues to question Drake’s talent.
In his own responding diss track, Drake denied these allegations, as well as allegations about having a daughter.
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