A federal judge in Manhattan has thrown out rapper Drake’s defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG), which represents both him and Kendrick Lamar, over Lamar’s diss track «Not Like Us.»
US District Judge Jeannette Vargas ruled that the lyrics accusing Drake of being a pedophile were «nonactionable opinion» and therefore did not meet the legal threshold for defamation.
Drake had filed the lawsuit in January, claiming that the song’s accusations endangered him and his family. He argued that UMG was liable for promoting and profiting from the track, which he described as containing false and harmful claims.
However, the court sided with Universal, which welcomed the 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,» the company said, adding that it looked forward to continuing its collaboration with Drake.
Lamar and Drake have been locked in a high-profile feud marked by a series of diss tracks aimed at each other. «Not Like Us,» which dominated global charts after its release, went on to win Grammy Awards for both Record and Song of the Year and briefly reclaimed the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 following Lamar’s Super Bowl performance earlier this year.
Attorneys for Drake and Lamar have not yet commented on the ruling.
Kursiv also reports that Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny has been announced as the headline act for the 2026 Super Bowl half-time show.
