Judge

Drake is again walking away holding an L(oss) from a battle involving Kendrick Lamar. On Thursday (October 9), a judge dismissed the defamation lawsuit Drizzy filed against Universal Music Group (UMG) over the hit song, ‘Not Like Us.’ The federal official ruled that Kenny’s lyrics were opinion, per the Associated Press. While Drake hasn’t spoken out yet, others involved in making the track, including Mustard, seemingly have!

RELATED: Yikes! Social Media Goes OFF After Kendrick Lamar Clowns Drake With THIS Skit At First Tour Stop (VIDEO)

Judge Explains Why She Tossed Drake’s Lawsuit Against UMG 

As previously reported, Drake’s and Kendrick Lamar’s rap beef exploded in the spring of 2024. The superstars traded shots from the booth for several rounds. Then, in May, Lamar put a nail in Drizzy’s metaphorical coffin with ‘Not Like Us.’ The song became a cultural phenomenon and ate the charts up—same energy for the music video he released in July. Even celebrities once tight with Drake, such as LeBron James, picked sides. And, spoiler alert, it often wasn’t the Canadian rapper’s!

‘Not Like Us,’ which calls out Drake by name, attacks him as “a colonizer” of rap culture. It also makes serious allegations about his sex life, including “I hear you like ’em young” — a claim Drake has rejected. This week, Judge Jeannette A. Vargas acknowledged in her written opinion that ‘Not Like Us’ explicitly branded Drake as a pedophile. However, Vargas said a reasonable listener could not have concluded that the song revealed objective facts about Drake.

“Although the accusation that Plaintiff is a pedophile is certainly a serious one, the broader context of a heated rap battle, with incendiary language and offensive accusations hurled by both participants, would not incline the reasonable listener to believe that ‘Not Like Us’ imparts verifiable facts about Plaintiff,” Judge Vargas wrote.

An aerial photo depicting Drake’s mansion doubles as the song’s cover art. The photo, per the judge, had “an overlay of more than a dozen sex offender markers,” but Vargas said it was “obviously exaggerated and doctored.”

“No reasonable person would view the Image and believe that, in fact, law enforcement had designated thirteen residents in Drake’s home as sex offenders,” Judge Vargas wrote.

Judge Vargas also pointed out that Drizzy, too, took low blows in the rap beef. Before ‘Not Like Us,’ she said Drake mocked Kendrick Lamar’s height and shoe size. Additionally, he questioned Lamar’s success in the April 2024 track ‘Push Ups.’ Meanwhile, Kendrick Lamar insulted Drizzy’s fashion sense that same month in ‘Euphoria.’ Judge Vargas wrote that the insults escalated from there, becoming “vicious, personal.”

Considering the medium the rappers used to insult each other, Judge Vargas concluded that the average listener knows better. She said listeners would not consider a diss track “a product of a thoughtful or disinterested investigation, conveying to the public fact-checked verifiable content.”

Per AP, Vargas wrote that ‘Not Like Us’ was “replete with profanity, trash-talking, threats of violence, and figurative and hyperbolic language, all of which are indicia of opinion.” A reasonable listener, she added, “would conclude that Lamar is rapping hyperbolic vituperations.”

Drake’s Team & UMG Reacts To Lawsuit Dismissal

After the decision, Drake’s legal team issued a statement: “We intend to appeal today’s ruling, and we look forward to the Court of Appeals reviewing it.”

For context, Drizzy filed the lawsuit in January. It does not name Kendrick Lamar. Instead, the paperwork alleges Universal Music Group (UMG) intentionally published and promoted ‘Not Like Us,’ despite knowing the lyrics contained false and defamatory allegations. The lawsuit claims the song messed up his reputation and decreased the value of his brand. Additionally, Drake alleged that the song encourages listeners to use vigilante justice against him. He even blamed ‘Not Like Us’ for attempted break-ins and the shooting of a security guard at his Toronto home.

UMG immediately denied the allegations. Interestingly, Universal Music Group is the parent record label for both Drake and Kendrick Lamar. It released a statement following the lawsuit dismissal.

“From the outset, this suit was an affront to all artists and their creative expression and never should have seen the light of day,” UMG said. “We’re pleased with the court’s dismissal and look forward to continuing our work successfully promoting Drake’s music and investing in his career.”

Mustard Shares THIS Post After Dismissal 

It’s no debate that ‘Not Like Us’ was one of 2024’s biggest songs. Even Judge Vargas described it as having a “catchy beat and propulsive bassline.” Outside of court, Kendrick Lamar’s diss won record of the year and song of the year at the Grammys. It also helped make this year’s Super Bowl halftime show the most-watched ever, as fans speculated whether Lamar would actually perform it. He did, but with altered lyrics and the acknowledgment of the UMG lawsuit!

Mustard, who produced the diss, joined Kenny on the Super Bowl stage. He’s stuck by the artist’s rivalry with Drake. After the dismissal news on Thursday, Mustard took to X with a post that has fans thinking it’s a response to the legal update!

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

— Mustard (@mustard) October 9, 2025

Meanwhile, social media users on the same platform haven’t stopped cuttin’ up YET. See additional reactions HERE.

RELATED: Bye King! Drake Ditches LeBron James Tattoo For New Tribute To Canadian NBA Baller (PHOTO)

Associated Press writers Larry Neumeister, Andrew Dalton and Jennifer Peltz contributed to this report via AP Newsroom.