Videos by According2HipHop
Drake is pushing forward with his legal fight against Universal Music Group, filing an appeal in an effort to revive his defamation lawsuit tied to Kendrick Lamar’s Grammy-winning diss track Not Like Us.
Three months after a federal judge dismissed the case, Drake and his legal team submitted a 60-page opening appellate brief on Wednesday to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. The filing argues that the lower court incorrectly ruled the song’s lyrics were protected opinion rather than potentially defamatory statements of fact.
In the brief, Drake contends that Not Like Us makes an “unambiguous” factual claim by labeling him a “certified pedophile,” an allegation he maintains is false, defamatory, and capable of being proven true or false in court. He further accuses Universal Music Group of “relentlessly” marketing the record in a way that amplified and reinforced the alleged claim, pointing to the song’s cover art and a later viral music video as contributing to the damage to his reputation.
Drake also warns that allowing the dismissal to stand would set a dangerous precedent. According to the appeal, treating rap diss tracks as categorically non-actionable opinion could shield artists and labels from defamation liability regardless of how direct or harmful a statement may be. His legal team argues the district court effectively created an unprecedented rule that diss tracks can never contain statements of fact.
UMG has not yet publicly responded to the appeal. The label’s response brief is due by March 27, setting the stage for the next chapter in one of hip-hop’s most closely watched legal battles.
