Drake is refusing to move on from his rap beef with Kendrick Lamar and has filed a notice of appeal after a judge tossed his defamation lawsuit against UMG.
“This confirms our intent to appeal, and we look forward to the Court of Appeals reviewing that filing in the coming weeks,” Drizzy’s rep told Variety.
Judge Jeannette Vargas determined the statements at issue in the case were “nonactionable opinion” and dismissed the lawsuit.
Drake alleged in the lawsuit that UMG intentionally promoted Lamar’s “Not Like Us” knowing it contained false and defamatory claims about him being a p*dophile.
The judge determined that the diss track was an opinion that taking into consideration the context, which was a rap battle, the claims “would not incline the reasonable listener to believe that ‘Not Like Us’ imparts verifiable facts about Plaintiff.”
“‘Not Like Us’ is replete with profanity, trash-talking, threats of violence, and figurative and hyperbolic language, all of which are indicia of opinion,” the judge wrote at the time. “A rap diss track would not create more of an expectation in the average listener that the lyrics state sober facts instead of opinion than the statements at issue in those cases.”
After the lawsuit was thrown out of court, Drake’s attorneys vowed to appeal.
The move goes against DJ Akademik’s advice, who urged Drake to leave Kendrick Lamar alone.
“When I mean leave him alone, we got to leave the moment. There’s no more direct engagement,” said Ak earlier this month. “Ain’t no more with diss songs. It’s over.”
“After this battle, it should be Drake’s last,” said Ak. “Like, why engage with rappers, any of these situations, you have nothing to gain? Would you go on a business deal you got nothing to gain?”
