Drake’s Label Files to Dismiss Lawsuit Over Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us,’ Says Rapper ‘Lost a Rap Battle He Provoked’

https://variety.com/2025/music/news/drake-kendrick-lamar-not-like-us-lawsuit-motion-dismiss-1236339456/

16 comments

  1. >Universal Music Group has filed a scathing motion to dismiss Drake‘s New York lawsuit against them for promoting Kendrick Lamar‘s “Not Like Us,” stating that he’s only suing because he “lost a rap battle” and took legal action to “salve his wounds.”

    >The motion, filed earlier today and reviewed by Variety, took a cutting approach to making the case for dismissal, claiming that Drake “lost a rap battle that he provoked and in which he willingly participated. Instead of accepting the loss like the unbothered rap artist he often claims to be, he has sued his own record label in a misguided attempt to salve his wounds. Plaintiff’s Complaint is utterly without merit and should be dismissed with prejudice.”

    >The filing notes that Drake himself signed a public petition less than three years ago criticizing “the trend of prosecutors using artists’ creative expression against them” by interpreting rap lyrics as fact. “Drake was right then and is wrong now,” reads the motion. “Complaint’s unjustified claims against UMG are no more than Drake’s attempt to save face for his unsuccessful rap battle with Lamar.”

    >In its motion to dismiss, Universal is arguing that Drake fails to make a claim for defamation in his suit, stating that it’s a double standard to expect them to promote his diss tracks against Lamar and not vice versa. The motion adds that “Not Like Us” “conveys nonactionable opinion and rhetorical hyperbole, not fact,” meaning they can’t be accused of acting with malice, and further claims that there’s no basis for the suit since Drake failed to state a claim for “harassment in the second degree” and under New York General Business Law.

  3. Drake doesn’t get enough shit for this. He really put hip-hop in danger with his antics. Imagine if record labels forbid all future battles for their signees in fear of lawsuits. 

  4. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. The only thing I like Drake on is SNL. Kendrick got him good. But let’s be real here. None of these guys can touch Eminem.

  6. Lawyer burned him so hard he’s gonna lose the ability to walk again.

  8. So sick of this shit. Drake couldn’t win the battle on bars, so he went for low blows. Then when he couldn’t win on low blows, he decided to drag the whole thing. Now it’s every comment section filled with people simping for Drake vs. people simping for UMG.

    This is not hip hop, it’s tabloid bullshit that just happens to be tagged as hiphopnews by algorithms.

    Payola and botted streams is a real conversation. Drake VS. UMG is not.

  10. “Oh; it was a rap battle guys! Don’t worry; laws don’t apply”

  12. Drake has never been good or talented, only curated and promoted. He’s a terrible artist.

  13. My brother in Christ. You lost to Kendrick, you lost to the Super Bowl crowd, you lost to the Oscars crowd and now you’ve lost to lawyers of a major label calling you a bitch.

    It’s time to retire. You cannot recover from this.

  16. I didn’t think he could take another L, but here we are. Just in time for March madness and for him to bandwagon all the losing teams haha.

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