Drake’s latest legal battle has hit a wall — and this time, it’s the judge calling the final shot.
A U.S. District Court has officially dismissed the rapper’s lawsuit against Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar’s viral diss track “Not Like Us.” The decision, made by Judge Jeannette Vargas, ruled that the song did not defame Drake, despite his claims that the lyrics painted him as a “predator.”
Drake originally filed the case in November 2024, alleging that UMG and Spotify had manipulated streaming numbers and unfairly pushed “Not Like Us” to dominate the charts. His petition accused them of using bots and “pay-for-play” deals to inflate the track’s reach — even claiming UMG licensed it to Spotify at a 30% discount in exchange for extra promotion. A UMG spokesperson fired back at the time, calling the accusations “offensive and untrue.”
The next day, Drake filed a second lawsuit — this one for defamation — arguing that the label knowingly distributed the track while “falsely accusing him of being a sex offender,” and portraying him as “a certified pedophile,” “a predator,” and someone who should be “registered and placed on neighborhood watch.”
But the judge didn’t agree. “A reasonable listener could not have concluded that ‘Not Like Us’ was conveying objective facts about Drake,” Vargas wrote in her opinion, noting that the track was clearly an artistic expression rather than a factual statement.
Despite the ruling, Drake isn’t backing down. His team has already confirmed plans to appeal the decision. “We intend to appeal today’s ruling, and we look forward to the Court of Appeals reviewing it,” a spokesperson for the rapper told JustJared.com.
Meanwhile, UMG seems relieved to have the case behind them. A company representative told The Hollywood Reporter, “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.”
In short, Drake may have lost this legal round — but the fight clearly isn’t over. As for “Not Like Us,” the track continues to live on as one of 2024’s most talked-about moments in rap history.
