In this combination of images, Kendrick Lamar, left, appears at the MTV Video Music Awards on Aug. 27, 2017, in Inglewood, Calif., and Drake (R), appears at the premiere of the series “Euphoria,” in Los Angeles on June 4, 2019. Chris Pizzello/AP Photos
NEW YORK—A defamation lawsuit that Drake brought against Universal Music Group was tossed out Thursday by a federal judge who said the lyrics in Kendrick Lamar’s dis track “Not Like Us” were opinion.
The feud between two of hip-hop’s biggest stars erupted in the spring of 2024, with the pair trading a series of vitriolic tracks that culminated in Lamar landing the “metaphorical killing blow” with his megahit that May, Judge Jeannette A. Vargas said in her written opinion.
