Whelp there you have it. Drake’s defamation battle with Universal Music Group has officially come to an end. A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit this week, ruling that Kendrick Lamar’s explosive diss track “Not Like Us” falls under the protection of free artistic expression.
According to court records, Judge Jeannette A. Vargas issued the decision on October 9, 2025, concluding that the lyrics at the center of the case, where Lamar labeled Drake a “certified pedophile” and hinted at misconduct — were “rhetorical hyperbole” rather than factual accusations.
Drake filed the suit earlier this year, accusing UMG of defamation and negligence for distributing and profiting from the track, which he claimed damaged his reputation and endangered his safety. The Toronto rapper argued that as the parent company for both artists, UMG had a duty to intervene or restrict the release.
UMG’s attorneys countered that diss records are an established part of hip hop culture, a space where exaggeration, metaphor, and provocation are expected, not literal. They argued that no reasonable listener would interpret the lyrics as verifiable claims, a stance the judge agreed with.
“The statements in question would not be understood by a reasonable listener as factual allegations,” Judge Vargas wrote. “They are part of a longstanding artistic tradition of exaggerated and confrontational expression.”
So, basically calling someone a PDF publicly without evidence or just because you dislike that person is A-okay if you agree with Judge Vargas. That’s the learn here. Gotcha.