In 2025, one of the most recognizable artists in the world took his label to court.
The case, Drake v. UMG Recordings, Inc., began as a defamation suit over Kendrick LamarÕs song ÒNot Like UsÓ and ended as a landmark affirmation of free expression in American art.
This volume gathers the core filings that shaped the case from its explosive beginning to its final dismissal. Presented as an archival record, the book preserves how a moment of cultural drama became a matter of constitutional law. Each document captures the clash between ego, art, and corporate power in the digital age.
Included Filings and Key Materials:
The Original Complaint (January 2025): DrakeÕs initial defamation and negligence claims against UMG, alleging that the label amplified false narratives for profit.
UMGÕs First Motion to Dismiss (March 2025): The labelÕs sweeping First Amendment defense, framing diss tracks as artistic opinion protected by law.
Amended Complaint (May 2025): DrakeÕs expanded arguments of corporate responsibility, reckless disregard, and harm from viral amplification.
Second Motion to Dismiss and Request for Judicial Notice (May 2025): UMGÕs legal strategy incorporating lyrics, media coverage, and rap history as context for artistic speech.
Amicus Curiae Brief (May 2025): A filing from leading scholars of rap and law, explaining how hip-hopÕs rhetorical traditions function as performance, not literal accusation.
Order to Dismiss (October 2025): Judge Jeannette A. VargasÕs decision, declaring that diss tracks belong to the realm of art, not fact, and that the First Amendment protects even the sharpest expression.
Each section is presented in its full text, with a foreword that places the filings in cultural context. Together, they trace how an industry feud became a defining moment for artistic freedom and for the protection of Black creative expression in American law.
This book is not gossip. It is a record of how modern music, internet virality, and constitutional rights collided; and how art survived the confrontation., Not Like Us, Drake, UMG, Kendrick Lamar, Universal Music Group, Absa Lutely| | 338PAGES