Key Points
- Drake files appeal in New York to revive defamation case. He says UMG spread a harmful Kendrick Lamar lyric.
- Judge earlier ruled the lyric was protected artistic opinion. That decision blocked Drake from seeking damages.
- The appeal could return the lawsuit to trial stage. Lawyers expect a long process at the Second Circuit.
Drake (Aubrey Drake Graham) has moved to revive his federal case against Universal Music Group. He is challenging the judge’s decision that cleared Kendrick Lamar (Kendrick Lamar Duckworth)’s diss track.
The notice of appeal was filed on Wednesday, 29 October, in the Southern District of New York. It follows his January lawsuit accusing UMG of defamation over Kendrick’s song “Not Like Us”. That filing was first reported in Drake sues UMG over Kendrick Lamar diss.
A spokesperson said the filing shows Drake’s plan to fight on at the appeals court. According to Billboard, his team wants judges to review the October ruling quickly.
Why the first case was dismissed
In her 9 October order, Judge Jeannette A. Vargas dismissed the suit in full. She held that the “Not Like Us” line was opinion, not fact.
The judge said rap clashes often use sharp words that listeners do not take as fact. Because of that, she found UMG could not be punished for sharing the song.
The judge also rejected claims of harassment and unfair business practice. That ruling stopped the case before any discovery began. For more on the feud’s fallout, read Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” impact on Drake.
What the appeal could change
Appeals at the Second Circuit often run for months or years. If Drake wins, the case returns to New York for fresh hearings.
If he loses, the UMG ruling stays and the suit ends.
The dispute began during Drake and Kendrick’s fierce 2024 rap battle. Lamar’s track called him a “certified paedophile”, which triggered the complaint.
Drake’s lawyers say that line paints him as someone who harms children. They argue that such a claim should be treated as fact, not music talk.
UMG has not yet responded to the appeal in court. The label earlier argued it was only distributing a creative work.
Billboard noted the challenge could last more than a year at appeal. A win would reopen years of new motions and evidence.
For now, Drake’s move signals he will not drop the issue. He wants a court to say the lyric went too far.
Kendrick has not commented on the fresh filing. His song remains online and widely streamed.
The wider hip-hop world will watch closely because it tests how far diss tracks can go.
See the court document below.
