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A court official has thrown out Drake's defamation lawsuit targeting the music corporation concerning Kendrick Lamar’s song Not Like Us.

Presiding Judge Jeannette Vargas decided that Lamar's lyrics, which accused Drake and his associates of being "certified paedophiles", were "nonactionable opinion" and could not be deemed defamatory.

Drake submitted the legal action in January, accusing Universal Music Group, the music company behind the two rappers, of defamation by allowing the track to be released and promoted, saying it disseminated a "false and malicious narrative".

The artist’s representative said he intended to appeal the ruling. Universal Music Group said it was satisfied with the outcome and was eager to continuing its collaboration with the musician.

Context of the Hip-Hop Feud

The diss song, which was initially released in May 2024, was broadly viewed as the final strike in an ongoing battle between the rival rappers.

It has emerged as the most successful track of Lamar's career, having won multiple Grammy awards and being one of the most-discussed moments of his Super Bowl performance in early 2025.

In a detailed ruling, the judge called the dispute between the artists "the most notorious hip-hop feud in the genre's history".

"Both rappers’ seven-track rap battle was a 'verbal conflict' that was the subject of extensive press coverage and online discourse," the court noted.

"While the accusation that Drake is a pedophile is certainly a grave allegation, the wider backdrop of a intense musical rivalry, with incendiary language and offensive accusations hurled by each artist, would not incline the average audience to believe that 'Not Like Us' conveys truthful statements about the claimant."

She additionally observed that, in an earlier song, Drake had "dared his rival to make the pedophile claims" that appeared in Not Like Us.

On the track his own release, the rapper 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 track proposed.

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

"The parallel in the phrasing strongly indicates that this line is a clear reference to the artist’s own words in the prior song."

'An Affront to Artists'

Drake, whose real name is Aubrey Drake Graham, did not name his rival in the lawsuit.

His lawyers accused UMG of launching "a campaign to generate a viral hit" out of a release that made the "false factual allegation that the artist is a convicted predator, and to imply that the audience should resort to vigilante justice in response".

Deciding against Drake, the judge said listeners would not expect "truthful accounts" from a diss track "filled with vulgar language, trash-talking, violent implications, and figurative and hyperbolic language."

She pointed out that the rapper himself had used similar language, quoting a lyric in which the star "heavily" implied that "Lamar is a domestic abuser", and another where Drake "claims that he 'was told' that one of Lamar's sons may not be biologically his."

Concerning Lamar's song, the court said: "Even seemingly factual claims may take on the nature of subjective views... when made in open discourse, heated labour dispute, or similar situations in which an audience may anticipate the use of slurs, passionate language or hyperbole."

Reacting to the rejection, a UMG spokesperson said: "From the outset, this lawsuit was an insult to all artists and their artistic freedom and never should have seen the light of day."

"We are satisfied with the court's dismissal and look forward to continuing our partnership successfully marketing Drake's music and supporting his career," the representative added.

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

Lamar has not yet issue a statement on the case.