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A court official has dismissed the rapper Drake’s legal claim targeting Universal Music Group concerning Kendrick Lamar’s song Not Like Us.

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

Drake submitted the lawsuit in January, claiming Universal Music Group, the music company behind the two rappers, of defamation by permitting the song to be published and promoted, stating it disseminated a "false and malicious narrative".

Drake's spokesperson stated he intended to challenge the ruling. UMG said it was satisfied with the result and was looking forward to continuing its work with the musician.

Context of the Rap Battle

The diss song, which was initially released in May 2024, was widely seen as the final strike in an continuing feud between the competing artists.

It has become the most successful track of the rapper’s musical journey, having won five Grammys 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 rappers "the most infamous rap battle in the history of rap music".

"Both rappers’ series of diss tracks 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 child predator is undoubtedly a serious one, the wider backdrop of a heated rap battle, with provocative remarks and insulting claims exchanged by each artist, would not incline the average audience to believe that 'the track' conveys verifiable facts about plaintiff."

She additionally observed that, in an previous track, Drake had "challenged Lamar to make the pedophile claims" that featured 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 song suggested.

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

"The similarity in the wording strongly indicates that this lyric is a direct callback to Drake's lyrics in the prior song."

'An Affront to Artists'

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

His legal team alleged UMG of initiating "an effort to generate a popular song" out of a track that made the "false factual allegation that the artist is a criminal paedophile, and to suggest that the audience should resort to vigilante justice in retaliation".

Ruling against the plaintiff, Judge Vargas said fans would not expect "accurate factual reporting" from a musical attack "replete with profanity, trash-talking, violent implications, and figurative and hyperbolic language."

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

Concerning the track in question, Judge Vargas said: "Although seemingly factual claims may assume the character of statements of opinion... when made in open discourse, heated labour dispute, or similar situations in which an listener may expect the use of slurs, fiery rhetoric or hyperbole."

Responding to the dismissal, a label representative said: "From the beginning, this case was an affront to all artists and their artistic freedom and never should have been filed."

"We're pleased with the court's dismissal and look forward to resuming our partnership successfully marketing the artist’s work and supporting his career," the representative added.

A spokesperson for the musician said the rapper planned to appeal the decision, "and we await the Court of Appeals examining it".

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