A federal judge has reportedly dismissed Drake’s defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG), bringing an end to the rapper’s legal fight over Kendrick Lamar’s hit diss track, “Not Like Us.”
According to reports, Judge Jeannette A. Vargas issued the ruling on October 9, 2025, concluding that the controversial lyrics at the center of the dispute—where Lamar accused Drake of being a “certified pedophile” and implied misconduct—were protected speech under the First Amendment.
The Case:
We previously reported that Drake filed the lawsuit earlier this year, alleging that UMG, which represents both him and Kendrick Lamar, defamed and damaged his reputation by distributing and monetizing “Not Like Us.”
The track, which dominated charts and social media following its release, was widely regarded as the decisive blow in the highly publicized rap feud between the two artists.
Court Documents:
In court documents, Drake’s legal team argued that UMG knowingly profited from the song despite its “false and malicious” lyrics, claiming the company had a duty to prevent the release of content that could endanger his safety or reputation.
UMG, however, pushed back, asserting that diss tracks are a recognized form of artistic expression, rooted in exaggeration, metaphor, and rhetorical flair. Their attorneys maintained that no reasonable listener would interpret the lyrics as literal factual claims.
Judge Vargas sided with UMG, writing that the lyrics constituted “rhetorical hyperbole and opinion” within the cultural context of a rap battle.
“The statements in question would not be understood by a reasonable listener as factual allegations,” she noted in her opinion. “They are part of a longstanding artistic tradition of exaggerated, often confrontational expression.”
The court found that Lamar’s lyrics—though harsh—fell squarely under the protection of free speech, and that UMG could not be held liable for distributing an artist’s creative work.
