A federal judge in New York has dismissed a defamation lawsuit Drake filed against Universal Music Group, ruling that lyrics branding the superstar a pedophile in Kendrick Lamar's Grammy-winning diss track “Not Like Us” constituted opinion.
Judge Jeannette A. Vargas on Thursday dismissed the lawsuit in a written opinion that began by mentioning a “vicious war of words” and declaring that the case arose “from perhaps the most infamous rap battle in the history of the genre.”
The lawsuit, filed in January, alleged that UMG published and promoted the song “Not Like Us” even though it included false accusations of pedophilia against Drake and encouraged listeners to resort to vigilantism.
The suit also alleged that the track tarnished his reputation and diminished the value of his brand.
Lamar was not named in the lawsuit.
Universal Music Group, the parent label of both artists, denied the allegations.
“From the very beginning, this lawsuit was an affront to all artists and their creative expression and should never have seen the light of day,” a UMG spokesperson told CBS News in a statement Thursday. “We are pleased with the court's decision and look forward to continuing our work to successfully promote Drake's music and invest in his career.”
Drake's rep told CBS News in a statement: “We intend to appeal today's decision and look forward to hearing it before the Court of Appeals.”
CBS News has also reached out to Lamar's representatives for comment.
UMG owns Interscope, Lamar's label, and Republic Records, where Drake spent his entire career.
In February Drake reached a settlement with iHeartMedia in a separate lawsuit filed in Texas over the song “Not Like Us.”
In that complaint, Drake alleged that iHeartMedia received illegal payments from UMG to increase radio airplay for the song “Not Like Us.” iHeartMedia and UMG have denied the allegations.
And in November 2024, Drake also filed a similar complaint in New York against streaming giants Spotify and UMG, accusing them of conspiring to boost the number of “Not Like Us” streams. Both companies also denied the claims.
Lamar and Drake We've been fighting for yearswhen the two rappers released several diss tracks about each other. The feud seemed to come to a head when Lamar called out Drake during his Super Bowl Halftime Show in February.
On “Not Like Us,” released in May 2024, Lamar makes disturbing allegations that Drake allegedly behaved inappropriately with minors. He also makes similar accusations towards Drake's friends and continues to question Drake's talent.
In his response diss, Drake denied these accusations, as well as accusations that he has a daughter.
