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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 Jeannette Vargas decided that Lamar's song lyrics, which claimed Drake and his crew of being "pedophiles", were "protected opinion" and could not be deemed libelous.

Drake submitted the lawsuit in January, claiming UMG, the record label representing both artists, of defamatory conduct by permitting the track to be published and promoted, stating it disseminated a "false and malicious narrative".

Drake's representative stated he planned to challenge the decision. Universal Music Group said it was satisfied with the result and was eager to continuing its work with the musician.

Background of the Rap Battle

The diss song, which was first dropped in spring 2024, was broadly viewed as the decisive blow in an ongoing battle between the competing artists.

It has emerged as the most successful track of the rapper’s career, having won five Grammys and being one of the most-discussed moments of his Super Bowl performance in early 2025.

In a 38-page order, Judge Vargas called the row between the artists "the most notorious hip-hop feud in the history of rap music".

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

"While the claim that Drake is a pedophile is certainly a grave allegation, the wider backdrop of a intense musical rivalry, with incendiary language and insulting claims hurled by both participants, would not incline the reasonable listener to believe that 'the track' conveys truthful statements about the claimant."

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

On the song his own release, the rapper used the AI-generated voice of Tupac Shakur to suggest strategies on how to win the rap battle.

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

"Against this backdrop in which such lines as 'Hey Drake, I’ve heard you prefer them young' must be assessed," wrote the court.

"The parallel in the wording strongly indicates that this line is a direct callback to Drake's lyrics in the earlier release."

'A Slap in the Face to Creatives'

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

His legal team accused the label of initiating "a campaign to generate a popular song" out of a track that made the "untrue claim that the artist is a criminal paedophile, and to suggest that the public should turn to vigilante justice in retaliation".

Deciding against Drake, the judge said listeners would not expect "accurate factual reporting" from a musical attack "replete with vulgar language, insults, violent implications, and figurative and hyperbolic language."

She pointed out that the rapper himself had used similar language, referencing a lyric in which the artist "strongly" implied that "Lamar is a domestic abuser", and another where he "claims that he 'heard' that one of Lamar's children may not be biologically his."

Regarding Lamar's song, Judge Vargas said: "Even seemingly factual claims may assume the character of statements of opinion... when made in open discourse, heated labour dispute, or other circumstances in which an audience may anticipate the use of slurs, passionate language or hyperbole."

Reacting to the dismissal, a UMG representative said: "From the outset, this case was an insult to every creative and their creative expression and never should have been filed."

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

A spokesperson for Drake said the rapper planned to contest the decision, "and we look forward to the appellate court examining it".

Lamar has not yet comment on the case.