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

Judge the court’s judge ruled that the rapper’s lyrics, which accused the artist and his crew of being "certified paedophiles", were "protected opinion" and could not be considered defamatory.

Drake filed the legal action in January, claiming UMG, the music company behind the two rappers, of defamatory conduct by allowing the track to be published and promoted, saying it spread a "false and malicious narrative".

The artist’s representative said he intended to challenge the ruling. Universal Music Group expressed it was satisfied with the outcome and was looking forward to resuming its work with the musician.

Context of the Rap Battle

The diss song, which was first dropped in May 2024, was widely seen as the decisive blow in an continuing feud between the competing artists.

It has become the most successful track of the rapper’s musical journey, having received multiple Grammy awards and being one of the most-talked about highlights of his Super Bowl performance in early 2025.

In a 38-page order, Judge Vargas called the row between the artists "the most infamous rap battle in the genre's history".

"The artists' seven-track rap battle was a 'verbal conflict' that was the focus of substantial media scrutiny and online discourse," the court wrote.

"Although the accusation that plaintiff is a child predator is certainly a grave allegation, the broader context of a heated rap battle, with incendiary language and insulting claims exchanged by both participants, would not incline the average audience to believe that 'Not Like Us' conveys truthful statements about plaintiff."

She additionally observed that, in an earlier song, Drake had "dared Lamar to make the paedophilia accusations" that featured in Not Like Us.

On the track his own release, the rapper used the AI-generated voice of Tupac Shakur 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 'Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young' must be evaluated," wrote the court.

"The parallel 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 real name is Aubrey Drake Graham, did not sue his rival in the lawsuit.

His lawyers accused the label of launching "a campaign to create a popular song" out of a release that made the "untrue claim that Drake is a criminal paedophile, and to imply that the audience should resort to vigilante justice in retaliation".

Ruling against Drake, Judge Vargas said listeners would not expect "truthful accounts" from a diss track "filled with profanity, trash-talking, threats of violence, and figurative and hyperbolic language."

She pointed out that Drake himself had used similar language, quoting a lyric in which the star "strongly" suggested that "his opponent is a spouse beater", and another where he "claims that he 'heard' that one of Lamar's sons may not be biologically his."

Concerning Lamar's song, the court said: "Even seemingly factual claims may assume the character of subjective views... when made in open discourse, heated labour dispute, or similar situations in which an listener may expect the use of slurs, fiery rhetoric or exaggeration."

Reacting to the dismissal, a UMG representative said: "From the beginning, this lawsuit was an affront to every creative and their artistic freedom and should not have been filed."

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

A spokesperson for Drake said the rapper planned to contest the ruling, "and we look forward to the Court of Appeals reviewing it".

Kendrick Lamar has yet to issue a statement on the legal matter.