Drake’s legal fight with Universal Music Group has a new reported court date.
Current reporting says oral argument in his appeal is set for Dec. 4, 2026 before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
Drake is appealing the dismissal of his defamation lawsuit against UMG over Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.”
The district court dismissed the case in October 2025. Drake appealed, and briefing in the Second Circuit was completed earlier this year.
HotNewHipHop reported the Dec. 4 date on Sept. 21, citing The Drake Docket. The Second Circuit maintains a public oral-argument calendar, but RRL has not independently retrieved a case-specific court entry showing the Dec. 4 setting.
If the date holds, the hearing will give both sides a chance to argue directly before the appellate panel after months of written briefing.
That does not mean a ruling will come the same day.
Oral argument is one stage in the appeal. The judges can question both sides, consider the record and issue a decision later.
The next reported checkpoint is Dec. 4; the final outcome remains unresolved.
