Nigeria, Oct. 10 -- The decision, issued on Thursday, October 9, by Judge Jeannette Vargas of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, ends one of the most closely watched music industry disputes of the year.

"In the context of a public feud between two rap artists, a reasonable listener would not interpret the lyrics in question as statements of fact," Judge Vargas wrote in her 27-page opinion. "They are rhetorical and hyperbolic, characteristic of the genre and its traditions."

Drake, whose legal name is Aubrey Drake Graham, filed the case in January 2025 against UMG.

He claimed that "Not Like Us" falsely portrayed him as a pedophile and a predator, and that the song's promotion had placed him and his family at ...