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A judge has dismissed 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 crew of being "certified paedophiles", were "nonactionable opinion" and could not be considered defamatory.

Drake filed the legal action in January, claiming Universal Music Group, the record label behind both artists, of defamatory conduct by permitting the track to be released and marketed, stating it spread a "false and malicious narrative".

Drake's representative said he planned to appeal the decision. Universal Music Group expressed it was satisfied with the outcome and was eager to continuing its collaboration with the rapper.

Context of the Hip-Hop Feud

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

It has become the biggest hit of Lamar's career, having received five Grammys and being one of the most-talked about moments of his Super Bowl performance in early 2025.

In a 38-page order, Judge Vargas called the dispute between the artists "the most infamous rap battle in the history of rap music".

"The artists' seven-track rap battle was a 'war of words' that was the subject of extensive press coverage and online discourse," the court noted.

"While the claim that plaintiff is a child predator is certainly a serious one, the wider backdrop of a heated rap battle, with incendiary language and offensive accusations exchanged by each artist, would not incline the reasonable listener to believe that 'the track' conveys verifiable facts about plaintiff."

She also noted that, in an earlier song, the artist had "dared his rival to make the paedophilia accusations" that appeared in the diss record.

On the song his own release, Drake used the synthetic vocals of the late rapper 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 '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 earlier release."

'An Affront to Artists'

The musician, whose legal name is Aubrey Drake Graham, did not sue his rival in the lawsuit.

His legal team accused the label of launching "an effort to create a popular song" out of a track that made the "false factual allegation that the artist is a criminal paedophile, and to imply that the public should turn to vigilante justice in response".

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

She pointed out that Drake himself had engaged in comparable rhetoric, referencing a line in which the star "strongly" suggested that "Lamar is a spouse beater", and another where he "claims that he 'heard' that one of his rival’s children may not be biologically his."

Concerning Lamar's song, the court said: "Although apparent statements of fact may take on the nature of statements of opinion... when made in open discourse, heated labour dispute, or similar situations in which an listener may expect the use of epithets, passionate language or hyperbole."

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

"We're pleased with the judge’s ruling and look forward to resuming our work successfully marketing the artist’s work and supporting his career," the spokesperson continued.

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

Lamar has yet to comment on the legal matter.