UMG Defends Lyrics Context in Drake Case, Calls Appeal Hypocritical

UMG has filed an 83-page brief in the Second Circuit arguing Drake’s bid to revive his defamation suit over Kendrick Lamar’s 'Not Like Us' is illogical and hypocritical, insisting Lamar’s lyrics were nonactionable opinion and that Drake seeks a harsher standard for lyric-based statements; Drake originally sued UMG in Jan 2025, claiming the label promoted the track to spread a false claim that he is a pedophile, but a district court ruled the lyrics were hyperbolic and not factual. The case tests how defamation law applies to rap lyrics and whether context can shield artists from liability.