Drake Files Appeal In Defamation Suit Against UMG Regarding Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us”

Drake is refusing to back down without a struggle. On Wednesday, October 29, the rapper submitted paperwork to appeal the defamation case he has against Universal Music Group concerning Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.”

The papers were filed just weeks after Judge Jeannette Vargas dismissed the case, stating that “a complaint must include enough factual information.” She noted that the average listener would not consider a diss track to be the result of a thorough and unbiased examination that provides fact-checked, verifiable information to the public.

We’ll have to wait a bit longer to find out exactly how Drake intends to challenge that decision. Billboard reported that his legal team has formally stated their intention to appeal, with the specific arguments to be detailed in a later filing.

Representatives for the artist behind “Hotline Bling” stated to the publication, “This affirms our plan to appeal, and we eagerly anticipate the Court of Appeals examining that submission in the following weeks.” It was noted by the outlet that it could take more than a year for the appeals court to make a decision on Drake’s case.

The rapper initially lodged a lawsuit against UMG in January, claiming that the label utilised bots and payola to boost “Not Like Us,” despite being aware that they wrongly accused him of being a pedophile. The company allegedly attempted to diminish the value of his brand, following the reported $400 million deal in 2022.

“A seven-track rap battle between the artists was a ‘war of words’ that received considerable media attention and online discussion,” Judge Vargas noted. “Although the claim that the plaintiff is a pedophile is a very serious one, the larger context of a heated rap battle, with intense language and offensive accusations made by both participants, suggests that a reasonable listener would not assume ‘Not Like Us’ conveys factual information about the plaintiff.”