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A judge has thrown out Drake's legal claim against Universal Music Group concerning Kendrick Lamar's song Not Like Us.

Judge Jeannette Vargas decided that the rapper’s song lyrics, which accused the artist and his crew of being "pedophiles", were "nonactionable opinion" and cannot be deemed defamatory.

Drake submitted the lawsuit in early this year, claiming UMG, the music company behind both artists, of defamation by allowing the track to be published and marketed, saying it disseminated a "untrue and harmful story".

Drake's representative said he planned to challenge the decision. UMG expressed it was pleased with the outcome and was looking forward to continuing its work with the musician.

Background of the Rap Battle

The diss song, which was first dropped in May 2024, was widely seen as the final strike in an ongoing battle between the rival rappers.

It has emerged as the most successful track of Lamar's musical journey, having won multiple Grammy awards and being one of the most-discussed highlights of his Super Bowl half-time show in February.

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".

"The artists' series of diss tracks was a 'verbal conflict' that was the focus of substantial media scrutiny and online discourse," the court noted.

"While the claim that plaintiff is a pedophile is undoubtedly a serious one, the wider backdrop of a heated rap battle, with incendiary language and insulting claims exchanged by both participants, would not incline the reasonable listener to believe that 'Not Like Us' conveys verifiable facts about the claimant."

She additionally observed that, in an previous track, Drake had "dared his rival to make the paedophilia accusations" that appeared in Not Like Us.

On the track Taylor Made Freestyle, Drake used the AI-generated voice of Tupac Shakur to suggest strategies 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 lines as 'Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young' must be assessed," wrote Judge Vargas.

"The similarity in the phrasing suggests strongly that this lyric is a direct callback to the artist’s own words in the earlier release."

'A Slap in the Face to Creatives'

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

His lawyers accused UMG of launching "an effort to generate a viral hit" out of a release that made the "false factual allegation that Drake is a convicted predator, and to imply that the public should resort to extra-legal action in retaliation".

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

She highlighted that the rapper himself had engaged in similar language, quoting a line in which the star "strongly" implied that "his opponent is a spouse beater", and a separate instance where Drake "raps that he 'was told' that one of Lamar's children may not be biologically his."

Concerning the track in question, Judge Vargas said: "Although seemingly factual claims may assume the character of subjective views... when made in public debate, intense arguments, or other circumstances in which an audience may expect the use of slurs, passionate language or exaggeration."

Reacting to the dismissal, a UMG representative said: "From the beginning, this case was an insult to every creative and their creative expression and should not have seen the light of day."

"We are satisfied with the court's dismissal and look forward to continuing our partnership successfully marketing the artist’s work and supporting his artistic path," the spokesperson continued.

A representative for Drake said the rapper intended to contest the decision, "and we await the Court of Appeals reviewing it".

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