A U.S. federal judge has dismissed Drake’s lawsuit
against Kendrick Lamar and Universal Music Group (UMG) over the
promotion of Lamar’s 2024 hit, “Not Like Us.”
The case stemmed from the high-profile rap feud
between the two artists, which escalated through a series of diss tracks last
year. In his January filing, Drake accused Universal — the label representing
both rappers — of betraying him for profit by promoting Lamar’s song,
which included punchlines implying pedophilia.
The suit alleged that the lyrics subjected Drake to “physical
threats” and “online harassment,” but Judge Jeannette Vargas
ruled that the statements in the song were “nonactionable opinion.”
“The issue in this case is whether ‘Not Like Us’ can
reasonably be understood to convey as a factual matter that Drake is a
pedophile or that he has engaged in sexual relations with minors,” Vargas
wrote. “In light of the overall context in which the statements in the
recording were made, the Court holds that it cannot.”
In a statement following the decision, Universal
Music Group described Drake’s lawsuit as “an affront to all artists and
their creative expression,” adding that it was pleased with the court’s
dismissal and reaffirming its commitment to promoting Drake’s music.
Lamar, 38, who won Album of the Year at the
2025 BET Awards for “GNX”, famously performed “Not Like Us” at
the Super Bowl halftime show in February. While he omitted profanity and
direct references to the word “pedophile,” he kept the controversial punchline
— “tryna strike a chord and it’s probably A-minoooooor” — during the
live performance, which drew over 130 million viewers.
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