US EditionJudge tosses Drake’s defamation lawsuit against Universal Music over rap beef with Kendrick Lamar
Judge Jeannette Vargas ruled that Kendrick Lamar's lyrics in 'Not Like Us' are protected opinion and not defamatory despite serious accusations against Drake, ending a $1 billion defamation claim.
- On Oct. 9, U.S. District Judge Jeannette A. Vargas dismissed Aubrey Drake Graham's defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group, formally ending the high-profile case this week.
- Earlier this year, Aubrey Drake Graham sued Universal Music Group after alleging they promoted Kendrick Lamar's `Not Like Us` despite false pedophilia insinuations and used bots to inflate its reach.
- Citing the diss track forum, Judge Vargas said Lamar's lyrics are 'nonactionable opinion' and not verifiable facts, given the context of hyperbole and exaggeration.
- A spokesperson for Drake said they plan to appeal and will seek review at the Court of Appeals after the case was dismissed, keeping the legal challenge alive.
- The ruling signals that diss-track rhetoric is seen as rhetorical opinion, with `Not Like Us`'s Grammy recognition and Super Bowl halftime show highlighting its cultural impact.
261 Articles
261 Articles
Drake Suffers Another Loss After Judge Throws Out His Lawsuit Against UMG
Less than a year after Drake filed a massive defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG) over lyrics in Kendrick Lamar's scathing diss track, "Not Like Us," a judge has thrown the case out. The ruling is another loss for the Canadian rapper, who was aiming to use the case as a means to remedy his reputation that was greatly damaged by Kendrick Lamar’s grave allegations. The ruling has been hailed as a victory for artistic freedom. US…
According to the reasoning, the exchange of words between rappers is considered an opinion and therefore cannot be considered defamation.
Drake's defamation case over Kendrick Lamar diss track tossed out of court
Drake alleged that his label published and promoted rival Kendrick Lamar’s diss track Not Like Us, even though it included false paedophilia allegations against Drake and suggested listeners should resort to vigilante justice.
The rappers Drake and Kendrick Lamar fought an epic beef together. Drake wanted to continue it in court: because of »Not Like Us« he filed a lawsuit against his own record label, but without success.
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