One of hip hop’s biggest legal battles just hit a dead end. A federal judge in New York has officially dismissed Drake’s defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group, the very record label that releases his music, over the promotion and distribution of Kendrick Lamar’s viral diss track “Not Like Us”. The ruling puts a definitive cap on what Judge Jeannette Vargas described as “perhaps the most infamous rap battle in the genre’s history”.
The Canadian superstar, whose legal name is Aubrey Drake Graham, filed the lawsuit in January after Lamar’s track became a cultural phenomenon and swept the 2025 Grammy Awards. The song, which explicitly calls Drake a “certified pedophile” and makes other serious allegations about his relationships with minors, won five Grammys including Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Best Rap Song, Best Rap Performance, and Best Music Video. Lamar even performed it during the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show.
Drake’s legal team argued that UMG intentionally published and promoted the track while knowing the allegations were false and defamatory, endangering him and his family. The lawsuit claimed the song tarnished his reputation, decreased the value of his brand, and suggested listeners should resort to vigilante justice. But here’s where things get complicated: Drake wasn’t suing Kendrick Lamar himself. Instead, he went after Universal Music Group, the parent company that distributes music for both artists through different subsidiaries.
The Judge’s Verdict
Judge Jeannette Vargas wasn’t buying what Drake’s legal team was selling. In her Thursday ruling dated October 9, she determined that the lyrics in question were “nonactionable opinion” rather than statements of verifiable fact. Her reasoning centered on the context of where these words were spoken: in the middle of an intense rap battle filled with hyperbolic language, violent imagery, and trash talk from both sides.
“The question at issue is whether ‘Not Like Us’ can be reasonably understood to state as a fact that Drake is a pedophile or that he engaged in sexual relations with minors,” Vargas wrote in her opinion. “Considering the full context of the statements made in the Recording, the Court concludes it cannot”.
The judge went further, explaining that the average listener doesn’t treat diss tracks like investigative journalism. “The typical listener does not believe that a diss track is the result of careful or unbiased investigation presenting verified information to the public,” she noted in documents. Instead, rap battles are understood to be arenas where artists hurl insults, use fiery rhetoric, and deploy hyperbole as weapons in a war of words.
Vargas also pointed out that Drake had thrown his own serious accusations at Lamar during their back-and-forth exchange. In previous tracks, Drake insinuated that Lamar had physically harmed his partner and questioned his paternity regarding one of his children. He even dared Lamar to make the pedophilia allegations in question, which the judge noted showed “the similarity in the wording strongly indicates that this line is a direct reference to Drake’s lyrics in the earlier song”.
The Epic Rap Battle That Started It All
The beef between Drake and Kendrick Lamar had been simmering for years, but it exploded into full-scale warfare in the spring of 2024. Over the course of just 16 days, the two artists released eight diss tracks aimed at each other, with increasingly heated rhetoric, loaded accusations, and violent imagery. Each song was a response to the previous one, creating an interconnected dialogue that captivated millions of fans and dominated social media.
“Not Like Us” emerged on May 4, 2024, and quickly became what Judge Vargas called the “metaphorical killing blow” in the exchange. The track didn’t just win the battle; it became a massive commercial success that outperformed other songs from the rap conflict in streaming numbers. Its success was so overwhelming that Drake’s legal team argued it deserved different scrutiny, though the judge rejected this notion.
Drake’s lawyers attempted to explain why they targeted UMG instead of Lamar directly, stating the lawsuit was “not brought against Kendrick Lamar” but rather revealed “the human and business consequences to UMG’s elevation of profits over the safety and well-being of its artists”. Music industry analysts suggested the real reason was likely the strong protections for artistic expression provided by the First Amendment, which would make suing Lamar directly extremely difficult.
Universal Music Group Celebrates the Win
UMG wasted no time celebrating its victory. In a statement released Thursday, the company expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision: “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”.
The record label had previously filed a motion to dismiss in March, arguing that Drake’s lawsuit was merely an attempt to salvage his reputation after losing the rap battle to Lamar. UMG maintained from the beginning that the case was “frivolous” and “illogical,” pointing out the irony that Drake was essentially suing the same company that distributes his own music.
The situation created an unusual dynamic where UMG found itself caught between two of its biggest stars. Lamar is associated with Interscope Records, a subsidiary of UMG, while Drake is signed to Republic Records, which is also under the UMG umbrella. This meant the parent company had a vested interest in protecting both artists’ careers and creative freedom.
Drake Plans to Appeal
Despite the decisive ruling, Drake’s team isn’t backing down without a fight. A spokesperson for the rapper told media outlets that they intend to appeal the decision. “We plan to appeal today’s decision and are eager for the Court of Appeals to examine it,” a representative for Drake said Thursday evening. This means the legal saga could continue for months or even years as the case works its way through the appeals process.
The decision to appeal suggests Drake’s camp believes there are grounds to challenge the judge’s interpretation of defamation law in the context of artistic expression. However, legal experts note that appeals courts generally defer to lower court rulings on matters of opinion versus fact, making Drake’s path to victory considerably steeper.
The Bigger Picture for Hip Hop
This case has raised important questions about the boundaries of artistic expression in hip hop, a genre built on competition, braggadocio, and sometimes vicious personal attacks. Rap battles have been a cornerstone of the culture since its inception, with artists trading insults and making outrageous claims about each other as part of the competitive landscape.
Judge Vargas acknowledged this cultural context in her ruling, noting that “even apparent statements of fact may assume the character of statements of opinion when made in public debate, heated labor dispute, or other circumstances in which an audience may anticipate the use of epithets, fiery rhetoric or hyperbole”. She emphasized that “the fact that the Recording was made in the midst of a rap battle is essential to assessing its impact on a reasonable listener”.
The ruling essentially affirms that rap battles exist in a protected space where artists can make inflammatory claims without fear of legal repercussions, as long as the context makes clear they’re engaging in competitive trash talk rather than making factual allegations. This protection is crucial for maintaining the creative freedom that has allowed hip hop to thrive as an art form.
“‘Not Like Us’ is replete with profanity, trash-talking, threats of violence, and figurative and hyperbolic language, all of which are indicia of opinion,” Vargas wrote. “A rap diss track would not create more of an expectation in the average listener that the lyrics state sober facts instead of opinion”.
Life After the Battle
Interestingly, both Drake and Kendrick Lamar have continued to thrive professionally despite their bitter feud. Lamar’s album “GNX” reached number one on the charts and laid the groundwork for an international stadium tour alongside SZA. Meanwhile, Drake’s collaborative project with PartyNextDoor, “Some Sexy Songs 4 U,” also debuted at the top of the Billboard charts. He has hinted at a forthcoming album titled “Iceman,” which is expected to be partially released through Republic Records, a subsidiary of UMG.
The commercial success of both artists post-battle raises questions about whether Drake’s concerns about reputational damage and decreased brand value were overstated. If anything, the heightened publicity from the rap battle appears to have increased public interest in both artists’ work.
This outcome also highlights a peculiar aspect of modern celebrity culture: sometimes the biggest controversies don’t hurt careers; they amplify them. The Drake-Kendrick feud dominated headlines for months, drove streaming numbers through the roof, and kept both artists at the forefront of cultural conversations.
What This Means for Future Rap Beefs
The dismissal of Drake’s lawsuit sends a clear message to artists across the music industry: rap battles remain a protected form of artistic expression, even when they involve serious allegations. As long as the context makes clear that participants are engaging in competitive hyperbole rather than making factual claims, artists can continue to push boundaries without fear of defamation lawsuits.
This doesn’t mean artists have unlimited freedom to say whatever they want. The judge’s ruling specifically noted that the context of a rap battle was essential to her decision. If similar allegations were made in a different context, such as a press conference, interview, or non-musical setting, the outcome could be very different.
For Drake, the dismissal represents a significant legal defeat and a public acknowledgment that Kendrick Lamar’s “metaphorical killing blow” will stand unchallenged in court. Whether the appeals process changes this outcome remains to be seen, but for now, the message is clear: when you step into the ring for a rap battle, you accept that your opponent can hit back hard, and the law won’t save you from getting burned by better bars.
The rivalry between these two giants of hip hop has already cemented itself as one of the most memorable feuds in music history. With the legal battle now moving to the appeals phase, fans and industry watchers will be watching closely to see if Drake can somehow turn the tables, or if this ruling marks the final chapter in a saga that has captivated the music world for nearly two years.
