UMG defend Kendrick Lamar lyrics as “tradition of rap beefing” against Drake in court
Drake filed a lawsuit against Universal Music Group alleging defamation and harassment over Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’ diss track in January. On June 30th, the case reached a federal court.
In his lawsuit filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, Drizzy accused UMG of valuing “corporate greed over the safety and well-being of its artists.”
He added that they “approved, published and launched a campaign to create a viral hit out of a rap track” that was “intended to convey the specific, unmistakable and false factual allegation that Drake is a criminal paedophile, and to suggest that the public should resort to vigilante justice in response.”
‘Not Like Us‘ was released as part of Kendrick’s feud with Drake, in which he accused the Toronto rapper of paedophilia and sexual misconduct. Lyrics include, “I hear you like ’em young” and “Certified Lover Boy? Certified pedophiles.”
UMG is attempting to dismiss the case, claiming Kendrick’s lyrics were “hyperbole in the tradition of rap beefing,” serving as artistic expression in hip-hop.
According to the The Independent, Judge Jeannette Vargas asked, “Who is the ordinary listener? Is it someone who’s going to catch all those references? There’s so much specialised and nuanced to these lyrics.”
Drake’s lawyer, Michael Gottlieb, said the track “achieved a cultural ubiquity unlike any other rap song in history,” and the average listener could be a “13-year-old who’s dancing to the song at a bar mitzvah.”
UMG attorney Rollin Ransom stated “context is key”, adding, “what you hear in these rap battles is trash-talking in the extreme, and it is not, and should not be treated as, statements of fact.”
Kendrick and Drake’s feud saw them exchange various diss tracks, including ‘Taylor Made Freestyle’, ‘Euphoria’, ‘Family Matters’, and ‘Meet the Grahams‘.