Drake Appeals Defamation Ruling

Drake is asking a federal appeals court to revive his defamation case over Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” after a judge threw it out in October 2025. (completemusicupdate.com) In a new filing reported April 20, 2026, Drake’s lawyers said the lower court misapplied the “reasonable listener” test when it decided people would hear the song as rap-battle exaggeration, not fact. (geo.tv) (completemusicupdate.com) The case was filed in the Southern District of New York on January 15, 2025, as *Graham v. UMG Recordings, Inc.*, and it targeted Universal Music Group rather than Lamar himself. (courtlistener.com) (nbcnews.com) Judge Jeannette A. Vargas dismissed the suit on October 9, 2025, ruling that the lyric at issue was “nonactionable opinion” in the context of a “heated rap battle.” She wrote that the broader back-and-forth would not lead a reasonable listener to hear “Not Like Us” as stating verifiable facts about Drake. (nysd.uscourts.gov) (billboard.com) (abcnews.com) That legal standard matters because defamation law turns on whether a statement can reasonably be understood as fact, not just whether it is insulting. Drake’s appeal argues the district court leaned too heavily on rap-feud context and not enough on how ordinary listeners outside hip-hop discourse may have heard the record. (completemusicupdate.com) (geo.tv) Drake’s side has also pointed to the song’s reach, including its chart success, five Grammy wins, and Lamar’s 2025 Super Bowl halftime performance, to argue the lyric traveled far beyond fans who followed every diss track in real time. (abcnews.com) (geo.tv) Universal Music Group has said the lawsuit attacks artistic expression and never should have been brought. After the dismissal, a UMG spokesperson said the company was pleased with the ruling and would keep promoting Drake’s music and investing in his career. (billboard.com) Outside the parties, legal groups have lined up behind UMG in the appeal. Musically reported on April 7, 2026 that the Floyd Abrams Institute for Freedom of Expression at Yale Law School and other scholars filed amicus briefs backing the dismissal and warning against courts reading rap lyrics too literally. (musically.com) The appeals court now has Drake’s argument, UMG’s response, and outside briefs from free-speech advocates and scholars. The next ruling will decide whether the case ends with the October 2025 dismissal or returns to court for another round. (completemusicupdate.com) (geo.tv)