Thursday, December 4, 2025

Bad Rap: Court Dismisses Drake’s Defamation Suit Against Universal Music, Feud Over? Trump Asks for Nobel Peace Prize Again

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Donald Trump’s pleas for the Nobel Peace Prize may have finally found substance.

The rappe Drake’s defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group and fellow rapper Kendrick Lamar has been dismissed.

Drake claimed that lyrics to Lamar’s hit record, “Not Like Us,” libeled him as a pedophile.

Trump had nothing to do with it, but may claim the end of this war as one of the many he’s resolved.

From the court’s motion:

“Over the course of 16 days, the two artists released eight so-called “diss tracks,” with increasingly heated rhetoric, loaded accusations, and violent imagery. The penultimate song of this feud, “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar, dealt the metaphorical killing blow. The song contains lyrics explicitly accusing Drake of being a pedophile, set to a catchy beat and propulsive bass line. “Not Like Us” went on to become a cultural sensation, achieving immense commercial success and critical acclaim.”

But Drake’s complaints were faint. The court concludes:

“Because the Court concludes that the allegedly defamatory statements in “Not Like Us” are nonactionable opinion, the motion to dismiss is GRANTED.”

So much for that.

Drake — real name Aubrey Graham — made a real mistake here. He turned “Not Like Us” into a massive hit that eventually won the Grammy Awards for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Rap Song, Best Rap Performance, and Music Video.

The so-called feud that resulted from this mess became a cause célèbre that mystified most people. Now the feud may be over, and the people in Oslo — wholly unaware of it — will have to decide if Trump’s overall message of peace was an influence on the judge.

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Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.

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