<\/p>\n
A defamation lawsuit that Drake brought against Universal Music Group was tossed out Thursday by a federal judge who said lyrics branding the superstar as a pedophile in Kendrick Lamar\u2019s dis track \u201cNot Like Us\u201d were opinion.<\/p>\n
Judge Jeannette A. Vargas rejected the suit in a written opinion that began by citing \u201cthe vitriolic war of words\u201d that erupted in spring 2024 and saying the case arose \u201cfrom perhaps the most infamous rap battle in the genre\u2019s history.\u201d<\/p>\n
The case stemmed from an\u00a0epic feud<\/a>\u00a0between two of hip-hop\u2019s biggest stars over one of 2024 biggest songs, which won\u00a0record of the year and song of the year at the Grammys<\/a>, got the most Apple Music streams worldwide and helped make this year\u2019s\u00a0Super Bowl halftime show<\/a>\u00a0the most watched ever.<\/p>\n Vargas said a reasonable listener could not have concluded that \u201cNot Like Us\u201d was conveying objective facts about Drake.<\/p>\n \u201cAlthough 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 \u201cNot Like Us\u201d imparts verifiable facts about Plaintiff,\u201d Vargas wrote.<\/p>\n Filed in January, the lawsuit alleged that UMG intentionally published and promoted the track despite knowing that it contained false and defamatory pedophilia allegations against Drake and suggested listeners should resort to vigilante justice.<\/p>\n The lawsuit also alleged that the track tarnished his reputation and decreased the value of his brand.<\/p>\n Universal Music Group, the parent record label for both artists, denied the allegations.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom the outset, this suit was an affront to all artists and their creative expression and never should have seen the light of day,\u201d UMG said in a statement. \u201cWe\u2019re pleased with the court\u2019s dismissal and look forward to continuing our work successfully promoting Drake\u2019s music and investing in his career.\u201d<\/p>\n The judge noted that Drake and Lamar both have recording contracts with UMG.<\/p>\n Lamar was not named in the lawsuit.<\/p>\n There was no immediate response to mails sent to representatives for Drake seeking comment.<\/p>\n \u201cNot Like Us\u201d was released amid a flurry of insult tracks between the artists. Lamar\u2019s song called out the Canadian-born Drake by name and impugned his authenticity, attacking him as \u201ca colonizer\u201d of rap culture who\u2019s \u201cnot like us\u201d in\u00a0Lamar\u2019s home turf<\/a>\u00a0of Compton, California, and, more broadly, West Coast rap.<\/p>\n \u201cNot Like Us\u201d also makes insinuations about Drake\u2019s sex life, including, \u201cI hear you like \u2019em young\u201d \u2014 implications that he rejects.<\/p>\n In his lawsuit Drake asserted that the song amounts to \u201cfalsely accusing him of being a sex offender, engaging in pedophilic acts\u201d and more.<\/p>\n He also blamed the tune for attempted break-ins and the shooting of a security guard at his Toronto home. The mansion was depicted in an aerial photo in the song\u2019s cover art.<\/p>\n In June the judge\u00a0heard oral arguments<\/a>\u00a0on the request to toss out the lawsuit.<\/p>\n Vargas said in her opinion Thursday that \u201cNot Like Us\u201d \u201cdealt the metaphorical killing blow\u201d in the feud between the two artists.<\/p>\n \u201cThe song contains lyrics explicitly accusing Drake of being a pedophile, set to a catchy beat and propulsive bassline. \u2018Not Like Us\u2019 went on to become a cultural sensation, achieving immense commercial success and critical acclaim,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Prior to that, the judge noted as she summarized the back-and-forth insults, Drake mocked Lamar\u2019s height and shoe size and questioned his success in an April 2024 track called \u201cPush Ups,\u201d while Lamar insulted Drake\u2019s fashion sense that same month in \u201cEuphoria.\u201d<\/p>\n From there, Vargas wrote, the insults escalated, becoming \u201cvicious, personal.\u201d<\/p>\n The judge said she considered the forum in which the insults occurred and concluded that the average listener thinks a dis track \u201cis the product of a thoughtful or disinterested investigation, conveying to the public factchecked verifiable content.\u201d<\/p>\n Vargas wrote that \u201cNot Like Us\u201d was \u201creplete with profanity, trash-talking, threats of violence, and figurative and hyperbolic language, all of which are indicia of opinion.\u201d<\/p>\n A reasonable listener, she added, \u201cwould conclude that Lamar is rapping hyperbolic vituperations.\u201d<\/p>\n Download the <\/b><\/i>FREE WPXI News app<\/b><\/i><\/a> for breaking news alerts.<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n Follow Channel 11 News on <\/b>Facebook<\/b><\/a> and <\/b>Twitter<\/b><\/a>. | <\/b>Watch WPXI NOW<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n