Judge rejects Drake’s defamation lawsuit amid spat with Kendrick Lamar

A federal judge has tossed out a defamation lawsuit Drake brought against Universal Music Group, labelling the alleged libellous words as opinion.

Judge Jeannette A Vargas rejected the suit in a written opinion that began by citing “the vitriolic war of words” and saying the case arose “from perhaps the most infamous rap battle in the genre’s history”.

The January lawsuit alleged that UMG 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.

She said a reasonable listener could not have concluded that Not Like Us was conveying objective facts about Drake.

“Although the accusation that the plaintiff is a paedophile is certainly a serious one, the broader context of a heated rap battle, with incendiary language and offensive accusations hurled by both participants, would not incline the reasonable listener to believe that Not Like Us imparts verifiable facts about plaintiff,” she wrote.

Lamar was not named in the lawsuit.

Universal Music Group, the parent record label for both artists, had denied the allegations.

“From the outset, this suit was an affront to all artists and their creative expression and never should have seen the light of day,” UMG said in a statement.

“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 lawsuit alleged the track led to violence at Drake’s home in Toronto, tarnished his reputation and decreased the value of his brand.