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A court official has dismissed the rapper Drake’s legal claim targeting the music corporation concerning Kendrick Lamar’s track Not Like Us.

Judge the court’s judge ruled that Lamar's song lyrics, which accused the artist and his associates of being "pedophiles", were "protected opinion" and cannot be deemed defamatory.

The Canadian rapper submitted the lawsuit in January, accusing UMG, the record label representing both artists, of defamatory conduct by allowing the song to be published and marketed, stating it spread a "untrue and harmful story".

Drake's representative said he planned to appeal the decision. UMG said it was satisfied with the result and was eager to resuming its collaboration with the musician.

Background of the Hip-Hop Feud

The diss song, which was initially released in spring 2024, was broadly viewed as the final strike in an continuing feud between the competing artists.

It has emerged as the most successful track of the rapper’s career, having won multiple Grammy awards 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’ seven-track rap battle was a 'verbal conflict' that was the focus of substantial media scrutiny and digital debate," the court noted.

"While the accusation that Drake is a pedophile is undoubtedly a serious one, the broader context of a heated rap battle, with provocative remarks and insulting claims hurled by both participants, would not lead the average audience to believe that 'Not Like Us' conveys truthful statements about the claimant."

She also noted that, in an previous track, Drake had "challenged his rival to make the paedophilia accusations" that featured in the diss record.

On the track Taylor Made Freestyle, Drake used the synthetic vocals of the late rapper to give Lamar advice on how to prevail in the feud.

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

"Against this backdrop in which such lyrics as 'Hey Drake, I’ve heard you prefer them young' must be assessed," stated Judge Vargas.

"The parallel in the wording strongly indicates that this line is a direct callback to the artist’s own words in the earlier release."

'An Affront to Artists'

Drake, whose legal name is Aubrey Drake Graham, did not name Lamar in the legal filing.

His legal team alleged the label of launching "an effort to create a viral hit" out of a release that made the "false factual allegation that Drake is a criminal paedophile, and to suggest that the audience should resort to extra-legal action in retaliation".

Ruling against Drake, Judge Vargas said listeners would not expect "accurate factual reporting" from a musical attack "filled with profanity, trash-talking, threats of violence, and exaggerated statements."

She highlighted that the rapper himself had engaged in comparable rhetoric, referencing a line in which the star "strongly" suggested that "Lamar is a domestic abuser", and a separate instance where Drake "raps that he 'heard' that one of his rival’s children may not be his biological offspring."

Regarding the track in question, Judge Vargas said: "Even seemingly factual claims may take on the nature of statements of opinion... when made in open discourse, intense arguments, or similar situations in which an listener may expect the use of slurs, passionate language or hyperbole."

Reacting to the rejection, a UMG representative said: "From the beginning, this lawsuit was an affront to all artists and their artistic freedom and never should have seen the light of day."

"We are satisfied with the judge’s ruling and are eager to resuming our work successfully promoting Drake's music and investing in his artistic path," the representative added.

A representative for Drake said the rapper intended to appeal the ruling, "and we await the appellate court examining it".

Kendrick Lamar has yet to comment on the legal matter.