Drake, Kendrick Lamar rap feud: UMG seeks defamation case dismissal

Universal Music Group (UMG) has moved to dismiss Drake’s federal defamation lawsuit over Kendrick Lamar’s hit song “Not Like Us.”

The record label argues that Drake’s legal action is a “misguided attempt to salve his wounds” after losing a rap battle he instigated.

In a motion filed Monday, UMG contended that Drake’s lawsuit should be dismissed outright, calling it an effort to deflect from the fallout of the high-profile feud.

Drake’s lawsuit stems from his bitter lyrical clash with Lamar, which saw the two trade personal and unverified accusations. The case specifically concerns Lamar’s diss track, “Not Like Us,” in which he labeled Drake a “certified paedophile.” The Canadian rapper has vehemently denied the allegation.

UMG argues the claim does not constitute defamation, asserting that the lyrics amount to “nonactionable opinion and rhetorical hyperbole. Diss tracks are a popular and celebrated art form centred around outrageous insults, and they would be severely chilled if Drake’s suit were permitted to proceed,” the label stated in its motion.

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UMG also highlighted that Drake had used its platform to distribute his own incendiary lyrics about Lamar, including unverified allegations of domestic violence.

Drake, who is signed to Republic Records, a UMG subsidiary, filed the lawsuit in January. Meanwhile, Lamar—not directly named in the suit—is represented by Interscope Records, another UMG division.

Drake’s attorney, Mike Gottlieb, dismissed UMG’s motion as a “desperate ploy” to evade responsibility. “UMG wants to pretend this is about a rap battle to distract its shareholders, artistes, and the public from a simple truth: a greedy company is finally being held responsible for profiting from dangerous misinformation that has already resulted in multiple acts of violence,” he said in a statement to CNN.

Drake cited a break-in at his Toronto home, during which a security guard was shot, as evidence of the real-world consequences of the song’s allegations. He claims UMG orchestrated a “campaign to manipulate and saturate” streaming services with “Not Like Us,” using bots and pay-to-play tactics to boost the song’s success. UMG has denied these claims, calling them “illogical” and “frivolous.” The label asserts there is no evidence of artificial streaming manipulation and has vowed to “vigorously defend” against the lawsuit.

This is feud continues to spark reactions and interests among his fans on socials as the record label in question is owned by Drake himself.