Drake to Appeal “Not Like Us” Lawsuit Ruling

Drake is hoping to revive his lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG) that a federal judge threw out earlier this month. The musician and his legal team filed a notice of appeal today (October 29) in a New York federal court.

When reached by Pitchfork, a spokesperson for Drake said, “This confirms our intent to appeal, and we look forward to the Court of Appeals reviewing that filing in the coming weeks.” Representatives for Universal Music Group did not immediately respond to Pitchfork’s request for comment.

Drake filed his lawsuit against UMG in January, alleging that the music corporation “waged an unrelenting campaign” to promote “Not Like Us,” Kendrick Lamar’s famous diss song that he believed to be defamatory. UMG had asked for the complaint’s dismissal, arguing that Drake “lost a rap battle that he provoked and in which he willingly participated.”

Judge Jeannette A. Vargas ostensibly agreed with UMG, ruling that “the broader context of a heated rap battle, with incendiary language and offensive accusations hurled by both participants, would not incline the reasonable listener to believe that ‘Not Like Us’ imparts verifiable facts.”