Drake is arguing Universal Music Group (UMG) is trying to dodge public accountability for what they call a pattern of mistreatment toward artists following a hearing on the label’s motion to dismiss the rapper’s defamation lawsuit.
defended the track as part of Hip-Hop’s tradition of over-the-top lyrical sparring. “Trash-talking in the extreme,” they argued, “is not, and should not be treated as, statements of fact.”
UMG also pushed back by pointing out that Drake has used similarly aggressive language in his own music and willingly engaged in a rap battle with Lamar. Neither artist appeared in court.
Judge Jeannette Vargas did not issue a ruling but raised questions about how the average listener interprets lyrics in the genre. “Who is the ordinary listener?” she asked. “Is it someone who’s going to catch all those references? There’s so much specialized and nuanced to these lyrics.”
Drake’s legal team also accused UMG of manipulating streaming data for “Not Like Us” by using bots to inflate numbers, a move they say hurts all artists by reducing per-stream payouts.