A US judge has tossed out Drake’s defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group, ruling that lyrics branding the superstar a pedophile in Kendrick Lamar’s diss track Not Like Us were opinion.
Judge Jeannette A Vargas rejected the suit in a written opinion that began by citing “the vitriolic war of words” and saying the case arose “from perhaps the most infamous rap battle in the genre’s history”.
She said a reasonable listener could not have concluded Not Like Us was conveying objective facts about Drake.
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“Although the accusation that Plaintiff is a paedophile is certainly a serious one, the broader context of a heated rap battle, with incendiary language and offensive accusations hurled by both participants, would not incline the reasonable listener to believe that Not Like Us imparts verifiable facts about Plaintiff,” Vargas wrote.
Filed in January, the lawsuit alleged Universal published and promoted Not Like Us even though it included false paedophilia allegations against Drake and suggested listeners should resort to vigilante justice.
The lawsuit also alleged the track tarnished his reputation and decreased the value of his brand.
Universal Music Group, the parent record label for both artists, denied the allegations.
“From the outset, this suit was an affront to all artists and their creative expression and never should have seen the light of day,” Universal said in a statement.
“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.”
Lamar was not named in the lawsuit.
There was no immediate response to emails sent to representatives for Drake seeking comment.
