This week, Drake’s (né Aubrey Graham) defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG) was dismissed by a federal judge who ruled that Kendrick Lamar’s diss track, “Not Like Us,” was only a matter of opinion, not fact.
“Although the accusation that Plaintiff 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,” Judge Jeannette A. Vargas wrote in her ruling.
The feud between Drake and Lamar has spanned over a decade but began dominating headlines in the spring of 2024, as the pair both released a series of incendiary tracks. In May 2024, Drake released “Family Matters,” which accused Lamar of domestic violence and his collaborator, Dave Free, of fathering Lamar’s son. Twenty minutes later, Lamar released his response—a song called “Meet the Grahams” in which Lamar alleged Drake was not only a liar, but a sexual predator and trafficker. Then, two days later, Lamar doubled down with the now infamous “Not Like Us,” which accused Drake of being a pedophile. The song, as we all well know, became the petty anthem of the century, earned Lamar multiple Grammys, and landed him the 2024 halftime show—the most-viewed halftime show of all time with over 133 million people across all viewing platforms.
Eight months after the track was released, Drake filed a defamation lawsuit against UMG. In the suit, Drake claimed Lamar “assassinated” his character. The self-proclaimed “certified lover boy” further asserted that the Super Bowl performance (and Lamar’s Grammy wins) “introduced new listeners to the recording,” which “duped” a wider audience “into believing that Drake was a pedophile.” Never mind that Drake’s dubious behavior toward young women has been well-documented for years…
UMG, which represents both Drake and Lamar, swiftly denied Drake’s allegations and issued a statement that read: “Drake, unquestionably one of the world’s most accomplished artists and with whom we’ve enjoyed a 16-year successful relationship, is being misled by his legal representatives into taking one absurd legal step after another.”
Obviously, Vargas agreed. But, of course, Drake’s legal team has already indicated their plans to appeal the ruling in a statement: “We intend to appeal today’s ruling, and we look forward to the Court of Appeals reviewing it.”
After this ruling, not only do I hope this back-and-forth never ends, but that more artists take the opportunity to call those in the industry who deserve it pedophiles, weirdos, and losers. In the words of Bethenny Frankel: “Mention it all!”
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