Drake's lawsuit against Universal over Kendrick Lamar song dismissed

A US judge on Thursday dismissed rapper Drake 's defamation lawsuit against record label Universal Music Group for promoting Kendrick Lamar 's hit song " Not Like Us ," which accuses him of being a pedophile.

Judge Jeanette Vargas ruled that Lamar, an American and rare Pulitzer Prize winner for his lyrics, expressed an " opinion " that does not constitute defamation , Variety reports, putting an end to a rap dispute that spilled into mainstream pop culture this year.

Lamar starred in the Super Bowl halftime show, the biggest sporting and media event in the US, with so many spectators that his commercials are the most expensive, and performed ' Not Like Us ', which was sung by the stadium.

The judge said that "the fact that the recording was made in the midst of a rap battle is essential to assessing its impact on a reasonable listener," noting that in that context, Lamar's statements in the song's lyrics take on the character of an opinion .

• "Even apparent statements of fact take on the character of opinionated statements (...) when they are made in public debate, a heated workplace dispute, or other circumstances in which an audience might anticipate the use of epithets, fiery rhetoric , or hyperbole," he says.

On May 4, 2024 , Lamar released the Grammy-winning " Not Like Us ," which won Best Record and Song of the Year, in which he repeats decade-old accusations that Drake is a pedophile and has a secret daughter he refuses to acknowledge.

Drake sued Universal last January in a document that made no mention of Lamar and alleged that with ' Not Like Us ,' the label "chose to publish, promote, exploit, and monetize allegations that it knew were not only false, but also dangerous."

The rapper, who is known for trashing his rivals with his songs and was one of the first celebrities to endorse Lamar, responded to the diss track with another song, ' The Heart Part 6 ,' in which he denies being a pedophile.

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