Drake v UMG Appeal Hearing Set for Dec. 4 in 'Not Like Us' Case
Drake and Universal Music Group will meet in court on Dec. 4 for the next round of the fight over Kendrick Lamar's 'Not Like Us'.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit set that date for oral arguments, in which lawyers for each side present their case in person to judges. The scheduling order was issued on Friday, Sept. 18, according to Billboard.
The case centres on 'Not Like Us', released by Lamar in May 2024 during a back-and-forth exchange of diss tracks, songs aimed directly at a rival artist, between Lamar and Drake. The song calls Drake a "certified pedophile". It went on to win five Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
Drake filed a defamation lawsuit against UMG in January 2025. Defamation here means a false statement presented as fact that harms a person's reputation. Drake accused his own label group of defaming him by releasing and promoting the Lamar track. He did not name Lamar as a defendant.
A federal judge dismissed the case about 10 months later. U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas threw out the claim on Oct. 9, ruling that diss tracks use exaggerated, hyperbolic language that listeners do not take as literal statements of fact, according to Reuters. UMG said at the time that it was pleased by the dismissal.
Drake appealed, and that appeal will now be heard by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan. A panel of appeals court judges will hear lawyers for Drake and UMG argue against each other on Dec. 4, as reported by Complex.
For fans, this means the dispute shifts from the charts to the courtroom calendar. No new ruling has been made. The December hearing will decide whether the dismissal stands or the case returns to a lower court.
