Drake Loses Lawsuit Against His Own Label! Judge Tosses Out His Defamation Case Over Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” Diss

Drake just took a major L — and this time, it came from the courtroom, not the charts. The Toronto superstar’s defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG) — his own label — has officially been thrown out of federal court, according to legal docs obtained by TMZ.

The judge ruled that the “allegedly defamatory statements” in Kendrick Lamar’s smash diss track “Not Like Us” were “nonactionable opinion,” meaning they can’t be used as the basis for a defamation claim.

In simpler terms — you can’t sue somebody for what they said in a rap battle. 🎤

Drake had sued UMG earlier this year, claiming the label knowingly released and promoted Kendrick’s record and visuals that painted him as a pedophile — an accusation Drake called false and dangerous.

But the court disagreed, saying that “even accusations of criminal behavior are not actionable if, understood in context, they are opinion rather than fact.” Since “Not Like Us” is a diss track, not a news report, the judge found that no reasonable listener would take Kendrick’s bars literally.

The ruling even pointed out that Kendrick’s most controversial lyric was a direct response to Drake’s own words from “Taylor Made Freestyle,” meaning it was all part of the lyrical warfare — not a factual allegation.

A spokesperson for Universal Music Group released a statement following the dismissal, saying:

“From the outset, this suit was an affront to all artists and their creative expression and never should have seen the light of day. 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.”

As of now, Drake hasn’t responded publicly — but this marks another twist in one of the most explosive rap feuds in recent memory, and now, it’s officially court-certified as just hip-hop competition.