A judge has dismissed Drake’s defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us.
Judge Jeannette Vargas ruled Lamar’s lyrics, which accused Drake and his associates of being “certified paedophiles”, were “nonactionable opinion” and could not be considered defamatory.
Drake filed the lawsuit in January accusing Universal Music Group (UMG), the record label behind both rappers, of defamation by allowing the song to be published and promoted, saying it spread a “false and malicious narrative”.
Drake’s spokesperson said he will appeal against the ruling. UMG said it was pleased with the outcome and was looking forward to continuing its work with the Canadian star.
Not Like Us, which was released in May 2024, was widely seen as the decisive blow in an ongoing battle between the rival rappers.
It has become the biggest hit of Lamar’s career, having won five Grammys and being one of the most-talked about moments of his Super Bowl half-time show in February.
In a 38-page order, Judge Vargas called the row between the rappers “the most infamous rap battle in the genre’s history”.
“The artists’ seven-track rap battle was a ‘war of words’ that was the subject of substantial media scrutiny and online discourse,” the judge wrote.
Kendrick Lamar performed Not Like Us during the 2025 Super Bowl half-time show in New Orleans, Louisiana.
“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.”
She also noted that, in an earlier song, Drake had “challenged Lamar to make the paedophilia accusations” that featured in Not Like Us.
In the track Taylor Made Freestyle, Drake used the AI-generated voice of Tupac Shakur to give Lamar advice on how to win the rap battle.
“It is in this context in which such lyrics as ‘Say, Drake, I hear you like ’em young’ must be assessed,” wrote Judge Vargas.
