Judge Dismisses Drakes Lawsuit Against UMG
The legal smoke just cleared, and Drizzy took an L this time. A New York judge just tossed out Drake’s lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG) — saying his claims over defamation tied to Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” diss track just didn’t hit like that in a courtroom.
Earlier this year, Drake tried to take it from the booth to the courtroom. He accused UMG — Kendrick’s label — of pushing and promoting “Not Like Us,” even though the track called him a “certified pedophile” and implied all kinds of wild stuff. Drake claimed that UMG helped spread lies that damaged his name, using bots, playlists, and promo dollars to make sure the world heard every bar.
He basically said, “If you’re gonna let him talk crazy, and you’re making money off it — that’s on y’all.”
On October 9th, Judge Jeannette A. Vargas dismissed Drake’s case, saying the lyrics were “rhetorical hyperbole” — that’s legal talk for, “It’s rap, not real life.”
The court ruled that Kendrick’s disses, no matter how spicy, are part of hip-hop culture’s back-and-forth — protected under the First Amendment. In other words, the judge basically said, “This is rap beef, not defamation.”
She called the feud a “war of words,” and said the lines can’t be taken as factual claims — just lyrical jabs in the game.
Drake can’t sue UMG for hyping up a diss track — not when it’s clear it’s part of the art form.
UMG walks away untouched, and the industry gets another reminder that rap beef is entertainment, not evidence.
Still, this doesn’t erase the damage to Drake’s rep. The streets and socials been debating all year about who won the feud, and the court ruling just adds another chapter to the saga.
Word is, Drake could appeal the decision, but that’s an uphill climb. Courts rarely touch hip-hop beef when it’s framed as artistic expression.
So, while Kendrick’s “Not Like Us” keeps running up streams, Drake’s legal move got benched — leaving fans wondering if he’ll clap back with a track instead of another lawsuit.
Drake tried to turn bars into a courtroom battle — but the judge said, “This ain’t that type of fight.”
