Womp, womp, womp, womp, womp.
Photo: Cole Burston/Getty Images
A federal judge dismissed Drake’s defamation-and-harassment lawsuit against his longtime label, Universal Music Group, over Kendrick Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us” on October 9. Drake filed the complaint back in January, arguing that his reputation was harmed because listeners would genuinely believe that he was a “certified pedophile.” But in the context of a multi-track feud in which Drake was also leveling incendiary language at Lamar, his case fell flat to judge Jeannette Vargas. “Although the accusation that plaintiff is a pedophile 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,” Vargas wrote in an October 9 ruling, per Billboard. Drake has vowed to strike a chord in appeals court, saying in a statement from reps that “We intend to appeal today’s ruling, and we look forward to the Court of Appeals reviewing it.” So it’s still not OVO-ver?
“From the outset, this suit was an affront to all artists and their creative expression and never should have seen the light of day,” a spokesperson for UMG states. “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.” Drake and Lamar are represented by different labels, both under the UMG umbrella. In his suit, Drake had accused UMG of making secret payments and offering reduced licensing rates to third parties to promote “Not Like Us” as part of an attempt to harm Drake’s music and brand during contract negotiations; UMG denied the allegations. Victory lap at the Pop Out?
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