AceShowbiz - Universal Music Group has strongly countered Aubrey Drake Graham's renewed attempt to revive his defamation lawsuit related to Kendrick Lamar's song "Not Like Us," branding the appeal as illogical and "astoundingly hypocritical."

In an extensive new 83-page appellate brief obtained by Rolling Stone, UMG asserts that the arguments presented by Drake are deeply flawed and "nonsensical," effectively trying to "turn the law upside down." The brief, filed in the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals, supports the original ruling by U.S. District Judge Jeannette A. Vargas last October, which dismissed the lawsuit by concluding that Lamar's lyrics calling Drake a pedophile were protected as "nonactionable opinion" rather than factual statements.

UMG highlights that Drake has previously used the label’s platform to make his own incendiary attacks on Lamar but is now seeking a legal standard that applies only to the "words he now dislikes" when directed at him. The filing argues, "[Drake] seeks to strip words from their context and deem them actionable defamation if anyone, anywhere, might treat them as factual. That is not the law, and Drake's view would critically undermine a highly creative art form built on exaggeration, insult, and wordplay."

Judge Vargas’s original dismissal emphasized that Lamar’s lyrics were part of a "heated rap battle" involving provocative language and offensive accusations exchanged by both artists. The judge found that a reasonable listener would interpret Lamar’s words as "rapping hyperbolic vituperations," not factual assertions.

As Judge Vargas wrote, "The issue in this case is whether 'Not Like Us' can reasonably be understood to convey as a factual matter that Drake is a pedophile or that he has engaged in sexual relations with minors. In light of the overall context in which the statements in the recording were made, the court holds that it cannot."

The legal dispute centers on a nine-track rap battle that drew public attention beginning in April 2024. The conflict escalated after Drake released the track "Family Matters" on May 3, 2024, accusing Lamar of domestic abuse and denying paternity of one of his children. Lamar fired back with two tracks, "Meet the Grahams" and "Not Like Us," the latter featuring the viral line, "certified lover boy, certified pedophile," which quickly gained widespread notoriety.

UMG stresses that the court rightly recognized the dialogue between the nine songs involved. They point out that Lamar’s lyric, "Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young," was an obvious response to Drake's own taunting in "Taylor Made Freestyle," where he alluded to rumors of dating someone underage. Drake raps, "Talk about him likin' young girls," in that track.

The label insists that regardless of Drake's later discomfort with this context, it remains "fair game and critical to consider under New York law."

UMG also condemns Drake's argument that Lamar’s lyrics could be defamatory because rap lyrics have sometimes been admitted as evidence in criminal cases. The label explains that such use occurs under different legal standards where juries make factual determinations, which differs from defamation law. Additionally, UMG recalls that in November 2022, Drake signed a petition denouncing the prosecution of artists based on their lyrics, arguing that rap should not be treated as literal confessions.

The filing accuses Drake of hypocrisy, quoting the petition’s statement that "more than any other art form, rap lyrics are essentially being used as confessions in an attempt to criminalize Black creativity and artistry," labeling such practices as "un-American and simply wrong." The brief suggests that Drake is now reversing his stance to benefit his legal interests.

In his 60-page appeal brief filed in January, Drake renewed claims that Lamar’s track expressed a "precise" and "unambiguous matter of fact," accusing him of being a "certified pedophile." He argued that UMG "relentlessly" promoted "Not Like Us" in a misleading way that damaged his reputation. Drake contended that the lyrics could be proven true or false, warranting a jury trial.

Furthermore, Drake and his legal team warned that dismissing the lawsuit could establish a "dangerous categorical rule" granting artists and labels immunity from liability regardless of how extreme or harmful their accusations might be. UMG responded by stating this "blatantly mischaracterizes" Judge Vargas’s ruling.

According to the filing, the judge never indicated that a diss track could never be defamatory, but rather emphasized that the "average listener" and "common expectation" in this context were important. The court concluded that this specific diss track could not reasonably be understood as stating facts.

Drake initially sued UMG in January 2025, accusing the label of promoting Lamar's song in a manner that falsely implied he is a "criminal pedophile." Notably, he filed the lawsuit only against the record label they both share, not against Lamar personally.

UMG countered with strong motions to dismiss, which were ultimately successful. In its filings, UMG’s lawyers wrote, "Plaintiff, one of the most successful recording artists of all time, lost a rap battle that he provoked and in which he willingly participated. Instead of accepting the loss like the unbothered rap artist he often claims to be, he has sued his own record label in a misguided attempt to salve his wounds."

This ongoing legal battle highlights complex issues about the intersection of creative expression, legal standards for defamation, and the cultural context of rap music’s confrontational style. As Drake pursues his appeal, the case continues to spark discussion about artistic freedom and the limits of legal responsibility for lyrics that are often deliberately provocative and exaggerated.