US EditionPublished • loading... • Updated
‘Unprecedented’: Drake Appeals Dismissal of Lawsuit Over Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’
Drake's appeal challenges a judge's ruling that rap lyrics cannot be defamatory, arguing millions believed Kendrick Lamar's song accused him of being a pedophile, causing harm.
- On Wednesday, Drake, rapper and plaintiff, filed an opening appellate brief challenging the lower-court dismissal that shielded diss tracks from defamation claims.
- Kendrick Lamar released `Not Like Us` in May 2024, with Drake claiming last year the song labeled him `certified pedophile` and gained widespread attention.
- Judge Jeannette Vargas dismissed the case in October, finding insults in rap are `hyperbolic` and not sober factual claims, while Drake's lawyers say the dismissal ignored evidence of real harm.
- UMG lawyers will file the response in the coming weeks, while a company spokesman did not immediately return a request for comment on Thursday.
- Legal analysts say the appeal could reshape how courts evaluate diss records in the viral media era, while Drake's lawyers argue that `rap lyrics are regularly used as evidence in criminal cases`.
Insights by Ground AI
19 Articles
19 Articles
Drake's appeal was formalized on Wednesday, January 21 by the artist's lawyers
‘Unprecedented’: Drake Appeals Dismissal of Lawsuit Over Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’
Drake has filed his appeal after his lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG) over Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” was dismissed, arguing that the judge issued a “dangerous” ruling that rap can never be defamatory. Drake’s case, filed last year, claimed that UMG defamed him by releasing Lamar’s chart-topping diss track, which tarred his arch-rival as a “certified pedophile.” But a federal judge ruled in October that fans wouldn’t think that …
·United States
Read Full Article
Coverage Details
Total News Sources19
Leaning Left2Leaning Right1Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Center
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources are Center
50% Center
L 33%
C 50%
R 17%
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
