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A court official has thrown out Drake's defamation lawsuit targeting Universal Music Group concerning Kendrick Lamar’s track Not Like Us.

Judge the court’s judge decided that Lamar's lyrics, which claimed Drake and his crew of being "pedophiles", were "nonactionable opinion" and could not be deemed defamatory.

Drake submitted the legal action in early this year, accusing Universal Music Group, the music company behind the two rappers, of defamatory conduct by allowing the track to be released and marketed, stating it spread a "false and malicious narrative".

Drake's spokesperson said he intended to appeal the decision. UMG expressed it was pleased with the result and was eager to resuming its work with the musician.

Context of the Rap Battle

The diss song, which was initially released in spring 2024, was widely seen as the final strike in an ongoing battle between the rival rappers.

It has emerged as the biggest hit of Lamar's career, having received multiple Grammy awards and being one of the most-discussed highlights of his Super Bowl half-time show in early 2025.

In a detailed ruling, Judge Vargas called the dispute between the artists "the most infamous rap battle in the history of rap music".

"Both rappers’ seven-track rap battle was a 'war of words' that was the focus of extensive press coverage and digital debate," the court noted.

"Although the claim that plaintiff is a child predator is certainly a grave allegation, the wider backdrop of a heated rap battle, with incendiary language and offensive accusations hurled by both participants, would not incline the average audience to believe that 'Not Like Us' imparts verifiable facts about the claimant."

She also noted that, in an previous track, the artist had "challenged his rival to make the paedophilia accusations" that appeared in Not Like Us.

On the track Taylor Made Freestyle, the rapper used the AI-generated voice of Tupac Shakur to give Lamar advice on how to win the rap battle.

"Suggest he has a preference for minors, consider that a tip," the track proposed.

"It is in this context in which such lines as 'Hey Drake, I’ve heard you prefer them young' must be evaluated," stated the court.

"The similarity in the wording suggests strongly that this line is a direct callback to the artist’s own words in the prior song."

'A Slap in the Face to Creatives'

The musician, whose legal name is Aubrey Graham, did not sue Lamar in the legal filing.

His lawyers alleged UMG of launching "an effort to create a viral hit" out of a release that made the "untrue claim that the artist is a criminal paedophile, and to imply that the audience should turn to vigilante justice in retaliation".

Deciding against the plaintiff, Judge Vargas said listeners would not expect "accurate factual reporting" from a musical attack "filled with vulgar language, trash-talking, threats of violence, and exaggerated statements."

She pointed out that the rapper himself had engaged in comparable rhetoric, quoting a lyric in which the star "heavily" implied that "his opponent is a domestic abuser", and another where he "raps that he 'was told' that one of his rival’s children may not be biologically his."

Regarding the track in question, the court said: "Even apparent statements of fact 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 epithets, fiery rhetoric or hyperbole."

Reacting to the dismissal, a label representative said: "From the outset, this lawsuit was an affront to all artists and their creative expression and should not have been filed."

"We are satisfied with the judge’s ruling and are eager to resuming our partnership effectively marketing the artist’s work and investing in his career," the representative continued.

A representative for Drake said the rapper intended to appeal the ruling, "and we await the Court of Appeals examining it".

Lamar has yet to comment on the legal matter.