A U.S. federal judge in New York has dismissed Canadian rapper Drake’s defamation lawsuit against his own record label, Universal Music Group, over label mate Kendrick Lamar’s 2024 diss track, “Not Like Us.”,
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The “Hotline Bling” singer, who filed a lawsuit against Universal Music Group in January, accused the label of betraying him in favour of profits by promoting the song, which features punchlines that accuse him of paedophilia.

In the song, Lamar, 38, called Drake and his associate “certified paedophiles.”
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‎He said, “Say, Drake, I hear you like ’em young. You better not ever go to cell block one…to any bitch that talks to him and they in love, just make sure you hide your lil sister from him.”
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But Judge Jeanette Vargas, who presided over the case on Thursday, ruled that the Canadian rapper’s lawsuit against the music company concerning the diss track amounted to a “non-actionable opinion.”
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‎Ms Vargas said, “The issue in this case is whether ‘Not Like Us’ can reasonably be understood to convey as a factual matter that Drake is a paedophile or that he has engaged in sexual relations with minors. In light of the overall context in which the statements in the recording were made, the court holds that it cannot.”
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Lamar and Drake traded “blows” in a word fight last year through their music, with both parties calling each other out in a series of recorded tapes. Lamar dealt the more severe blow with “Not Like Us.”

The hit track has garnered over 400 million views on YouTube since its release and was a headliner at Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show, which was viewed live on television by a record figure of over 130 million people.
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‎‎‎‎In a statement after the ruling, Universal Music Group called Drake’s lawsuit “an affront to all artistes and their creative expression and never should have seen the light of day.”
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‎”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,” the music label added.