Universal Music Group will not face a defamation lawsuit from Drake over the distribution and promotion of Kendrick Lamar’s Grammy-winning track “Not Like Us.”
U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas dismissed the case Thursday, ruling that Lamar’s diss track constitutes “nonactionable opinion” and cannot be considered defamatory.
Drake, signed to Republic Records, and Lamar, represented by Interscope Records—both under the UMG umbrella—found their rap beef escalated into a legal situation when the Toronto rapper alleged that UMG had spread defamatory claims suggesting he was a pedophile via Lamar’s song.
Drake contended that the label had made secret payments and offered reduced licensing rates to third parties to promote Lamar’s song, aiming to devalue his music and brand during contract negotiations.
The crux of the issue is whether or not Lamar’s “Not Like Us” contains factual statements that Drake has been with minors. The ruling explained that since the song was a diss track released in the middle of the pair’s rap battle that the lyrics could not be taken as true.
“The average listener is not under the impression that a diss track is the product of a thoughtful or disinterested investigation, conveying to the public fact-checked verifiable content,” Vargas wrote in the ruling.
Drake’s suit pointed specifically toward the lyrics “Rabbit hole is still deep, I can go further, I promise” as lines that suggested Lamar had proof of Drake’s pedophilia rather than just trash talk on a diss track. The court said that was a presumptive reading of the lyrics.
“It is not at all clear that this is a natural reading of this lyric,” Vargas continued. “Even if this line was susceptible to such an interpretation standing alone, however, no reasonable listener could understand it in this way given the overall context. Indeed, during this rap battle, Drake and Lamar each used similar hyperbolic threatening language.”
A spokesperson for Universal Music Group said they were happy with the court’s ruling saying, “From the outset, this suit was an affront to all artists and their creative expression and never should have seen the light of day. We’re pleased with the court’s dismissal and look forward to continuing our work successfully promoting Drake’s music and investing in his career.”
A spokesperson for Drake also commented on Judge Vargas’ decision saying, “We intend to appeal today’s ruling, and we look forward to the Court of Appeals reviewing it.”
The feud dates back to Drake’s release of “First Person Shooter,” in which he stated the Big 3 of the rap community included himself, J. Cole and Lamar.
Lamar disagreed that they were on the same level and made it known in a song of his own. This sparked a back and forth that culminated in “Not Like Us,” which fans deemed the fatal blow and declared Lamar’s victory.
