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A court official has thrown out the rapper Drake’s defamation lawsuit targeting Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar’s song Not Like Us.

Presiding Judge the court’s judge determined that the rapper’s lyrics, which claimed Drake and his associates of being "certified paedophiles", were "nonactionable opinion" and cannot be deemed defamatory.

The Canadian rapper filed the legal action in January, claiming Universal Music Group, the record label behind both artists, of defamation by allowing the song to be published and promoted, stating it disseminated a "untrue and harmful story".

The artist’s representative stated he planned to appeal the decision. UMG expressed it was satisfied with the result and was eager to continuing its work with the musician.

Background of the Rap Battle

Not Like Us, which was first dropped in spring 2024, was broadly viewed as the final strike in an continuing feud between the rival rappers.

It has become the most successful track of the rapper’s career, having won five Grammys and being one of the most-talked about moments of his Super Bowl half-time show in early 2025.

In a 38-page order, Judge Vargas called the dispute between the rappers "the most notorious hip-hop feud in the genre's history".

"Both rappers’ series of diss tracks was a 'verbal conflict' that was the focus of substantial media scrutiny and digital debate," the judge wrote.

"While the claim that plaintiff is a child predator is undoubtedly a grave allegation, the wider backdrop of a heated rap battle, with incendiary language and offensive accusations exchanged by each artist, would not lead the reasonable listener to believe that 'Not Like Us' conveys verifiable facts about plaintiff."

She also noted that, in an earlier song, Drake had "challenged Lamar to make the pedophile claims" that featured in the diss record.

On the song Taylor Made Freestyle, Drake used the AI-generated voice of the late rapper to give Lamar advice on how to win the rap battle.

"Talk about him likin' young girls, that's a gift from me," the track suggested.

"Against this backdrop in which such lines as 'Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young' must be evaluated," wrote the court.

"The similarity in the wording suggests strongly that this line is a direct callback to Drake's lyrics in the prior song."

'A Slap in the Face to Creatives'

The musician, whose real name is Aubrey Graham, did not name his rival in the legal filing.

His lawyers accused UMG of initiating "a campaign to generate a popular song" out of a track that made the "untrue claim that Drake is a convicted predator, and to imply that the audience should resort to extra-legal action in response".

Ruling against the plaintiff, Judge Vargas said listeners would not expect "accurate factual reporting" from a musical attack "replete with profanity, insults, violent implications, and figurative and hyperbolic language."

She highlighted that the rapper himself had used comparable rhetoric, quoting a lyric in which the artist "strongly" implied that "Lamar is a spouse beater", and a separate instance where Drake "claims that he 'was told' that one of Lamar's sons may not be biologically his."

Regarding Lamar's song, Judge Vargas said: "Although seemingly factual claims may assume the character of statements of opinion... when made in open discourse, heated labour dispute, or similar situations in which an audience may anticipate the use of slurs, fiery rhetoric or hyperbole."

Reacting to the rejection, a label spokesperson said: "From the beginning, this case was an insult to every creative and their artistic freedom and never should have seen the light of day."

"We're pleased with the court's dismissal and are eager to resuming our work effectively marketing Drake's music and supporting his artistic path," the spokesperson added.

A representative for the musician said the artist planned to appeal the ruling, "and we look forward to the Court of Appeals examining it".

Kendrick Lamar has not yet issue a statement on the legal matter.