Universal Music Group moves to dismiss Drake’s defamation lawsuit over ‘Not Like Us,’ calling it protected speech.

Universal Music Group (UMG) has officially fired back at Drake’s defamation lawsuit, calling for its dismissal and defending **Kendrick Lamar’s diss track, Not Like Us ** as protected free speech. The response, filed in Manhattan federal court on Monday, argues that the song’s controversial lyrics are nothing more than rhetorical hyperbole—a common feature of diss tracks—rather than statements of fact.

Drake, whose real name is Aubrey Drake Graham, filed his explosive lawsuit in January, claiming that Not Like Us falsely branded him a pedophile, threatened his safety, and even led to attempted break-ins at his home. The rapper alleged that the song’s damaging accusations forced him to pull his seven-year-old son from school and relocate away from Toronto.

UMG, however, dismissed the lawsuit as baseless, arguing that diss tracks are an essential part of hip-hop culture and that allowing the case to proceed would have a chilling effect on artistic expression.

“Diss tracks are a popular and celebrated art form centered around outrageous insults,” UMG stated in its court filing. “They would be severely chilled if Drake’s suit were permitted to proceed.”

The label also called out Drake’s alleged hypocrisy, noting that in June 2022, he signed a petition defending the artistic freedom of rappers, arguing that their lyrics should not be used as evidence in criminal cases. Now, they claim, he is attempting to weaponize those same principles against Lamar.

“Drake was right then and is wrong now,” UMG’s statement read.

Lamar’s Not Like Us, released on May 4, 2024, directly named Drake and included inflammatory lyrics such as “Drake, I hear you like ’em young” and “certified pedophiles.” The track dominated the charts, spending three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and even winning two Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

Drake’s lawsuit argues that the lyrics crossed a line, endangering his life and reputation. However, UMG dismissed these claims as an attempt to “save face” after losing the rap battle. Fans and industry insiders widely viewed Lamar as the winner of their high-profile feud, which has been brewing for over a decade.

Drake’s attorney, Michael Gottlieb, was quick to fire back at UMG’s motion to dismiss, calling it a desperate move.

“This is a desperate ploy to avoid accountability,” Gottlieb said in a statement. “We have every confidence that this case will proceed and continue to uncover UMG’s long history of endangering and abusing its artists.”

With the legal battle heating up, the case—Graham v. UMG Recordings Inc.—could have major implications for the boundaries of artistic expression in hip-hop and the legal risks of diss tracks in an era where rap beefs play out on a global stage.

Whether the court sides with Drake’s claims of defamation or UMG’s defense of free speech, one thing is certain: this is far from over.