Drake’s ‘Not Like Us’ Lawsuit Against UMG Heads for December Appeals Court Showdown

Drake’s defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG) over Kendrick Lamar’s explosive diss track “Not Like Us” is heading for a major courtroom showdown, with a federal appeals court set to hear arguments on December 4.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has scheduled oral arguments in Drake’s appeal of the dismissal of his defamation lawsuit against UMG Recordings. A three-judge panel will hear attorneys for both sides as Drake tries to revive a case a federal judge dismissed last year.

The hearing marks the next major chapter in a legal fight that began after Lamar’s 2024 track became far more than another entry in the rappers’ bitter musical feud.

Drake Wants His Case Back in Court

Drake, whose legal name is Aubrey Drake Graham, sued UMG in January 2025, accusing the company of knowingly releasing and promoting a song containing false and defamatory allegations about him.

Importantly, Lamar himself was not named as a defendant in Drake’s lawsuit. The case instead focuses on UMG’s alleged role in distributing and promoting “Not Like Us.”

UMG has denied wrongdoing and has argued that the song must be understood as a diss track created during an intense rap battle, where exaggeration, insults, and provocative language are part of the artistic context.

Why the Original Case Was Dismissed

U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas dismissed Drake’s lawsuit in October 2025.

The court concluded that the challenged statements in “Not Like Us” were nonactionable opinions rather than statements of objective fact. The ruling emphasized the broader context of the feud between Drake and Lamar and how listeners would understand the song within that setting.

Drake’s appeal directly challenges that reasoning.

His lawyers argue that the lower court effectively created what they describe as a broad rule protecting statements made in rap diss tracks from defamation claims. They contend that listeners could have interpreted Lamar’s accusations as factual claims, particularly because “Not Like Us” quickly moved beyond hip-hop and reached a massive mainstream audience.

UMG Fires Back

UMG is asking the appeals court to uphold the dismissal.

The record company argues that Drake is attempting to strip Lamar’s lyrics from their artistic and cultural context and treat them as conventional factual statements. In its appellate filings, UMG has stressed that diss tracks inherently signal opinion and exaggeration.

The company has also warned that allowing Drake’s lawsuit to proceed could have wider consequences for artistic expression and the use of provocative language in music.

Several legal scholars and First Amendment experts have filed briefs supporting UMG’s position. Among them are the Floyd Abrams Institute for Freedom of Expression at Yale Law School and constitutional law scholar Lyrissa Lidsky.

‘Not Like Us’ Became a Cultural Phenomenon

The legal dispute follows “Not Like Us” becoming one of the biggest songs associated with the Drake-Lamar feud.

Released in May 2024, the track topped the Billboard Hot 100 and won five Grammy Awards. Lamar also performed the song during his Super Bowl halftime show, pushing the controversy and its lyrics to an enormous global audience.

Drake’s appeal argues that the song’s extraordinary reach matters in determining how listeners could have understood its claims.

His legal team has also challenged the lower court’s reliance on material outside the original complaint when evaluating the song’s meaning.

December 4 Could Set the Next Legal Direction

The Second Circuit’s December 4 hearing will not determine whether the allegations in “Not Like Us” are true. Instead, the judges will consider whether Judge Vargas correctly dismissed Drake’s claims at the pleading stage.

The panel could affirm the dismissal, revive some or all of Drake’s claims, or send the case back to the lower court for further proceedings.

For now, the December hearing represents the next major test in a case sitting at the intersection of defamation law, free speech, and hip-hop culture.

After months of written arguments, Drake and UMG will finally have their lawyers before the judges who will decide whether the “Not Like Us” lawsuit gets another chance.