Drake Files Appeal In UMG Case Over Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us”

Key Takeaways:

• The court dismissed Drake’s defamation lawsuit over Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” but he is now appealing that decision.
• The judge previously ruled that the diss track’s lyrics were not meant to be taken as factual.
• Drake’s legal team has not yet revealed the full argument behind the appeal, which could take over a year to resolve.

Drake isn’t backing down without a fight. On Wednesday (Oct. 29), the rapper filed paperwork to appeal his defamation case against Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.”

The filing arrived just weeks after Judge Jeannette Vargas tossed the case, ruling that “a complaint must contain sufficient factual matter.” In her decision, she stated that the “average listener” would not interpret a diss track as “the product of a thoughtful or disinterested investigation conveying to the public fact-checked verifiable content.”

Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait a bit longer to learn exactly how Drake plans to challenge that decision. According to Billboard, his legal team only “formally stated his intention to appeal,” with specific arguments to be presented in a future filing.

Representatives for the “Hotline Bling” artist told the publication, “This confirms our intent to appeal, and we look forward to the Court of Appeals reviewing that filing in the coming weeks.” The outlet added that the process could “take well over a year” before the appeals court rules on Drake’s case.

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Rapper Drake performs onstage during “Lil Baby & Friends Birthday Celebration Concert” at State Farm Arena on December 9, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia

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The rapper first filed the lawsuit against UMG in January, alleging that the label used bots and payola to amplify “Not Like Us,” despite knowing it “falsely” accused him of being a pedophile. He further claimed the company was trying to “devalue” his brand, even after his reported $400 million deal in 2022.

“The artists’ seven-track rap battle was a ‘war of words’ that was the subject of substantial media scrutiny and online discourse,” Judge Vargas wrote. “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.”