𝐅𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐉𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐎𝐮𝐭 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐤𝐞’𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐮𝐢𝐭 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐔𝐌𝐆

A federal judge in New York has dismissed rapper Drake’s defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG), ruling that the lyrics in Kendrick Lamar’s Grammy-winning diss track “Not Like Us” are protected under the First Amendment.In his ruling, Judge Naomi Reiss stated that Lamar’s references to Drake in the song amounted to “artistic expression and opinion,” not factual statements that could be proven true or false.

The court held that UMG, which distributed the record, could not be held liable for the lyrical content.Drake had filed the lawsuit earlier this year, claiming that the song’s lyrics falsely portrayed him as “a manipulator and predator,” damaging his reputation and career.

However, the judge concluded that hip-hop diss tracks traditionally involve exaggeration and metaphor, emphasizing that “listeners understand such lyrics as part of a cultural rivalry, not literal accusations.”Neither Drake nor Lamar has publicly commented on the decision.