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A court official has dismissed Drake's defamation lawsuit targeting the music corporation over Kendrick Lamar's song Not Like Us.

Judge Jeannette Vargas decided that the rapper’s song lyrics, which claimed Drake and his crew of being "certified paedophiles", were "nonactionable opinion" and cannot be considered defamatory.

Drake submitted the legal action in early this year, claiming Universal Music Group, the music company behind both artists, of defamation by permitting the song to be published and marketed, saying it spread a "untrue and harmful story".

Drake's spokesperson stated he intended to challenge the decision. UMG expressed it was pleased with the outcome and was looking forward to continuing its collaboration with the rapper.

Background of the Hip-Hop Feud

The diss song, which was initially released in spring 2024, was broadly viewed as the final strike in an ongoing battle between the competing artists.

It has become the most successful track of the rapper’s career, having won multiple Grammy awards and being one of the most-discussed highlights of his Super Bowl half-time show in February.

In a detailed ruling, the judge called the dispute between the rappers "the most notorious hip-hop feud in the history of rap music".

"The artists' seven-track rap battle was a 'verbal conflict' that was the subject of substantial media scrutiny and digital debate," the court noted.

"Although the claim that plaintiff is a child predator is certainly a grave allegation, the wider backdrop of a intense musical rivalry, with incendiary language and insulting claims hurled by each artist, would not lead the reasonable listener to believe that 'the track' conveys truthful statements about plaintiff."

She also noted that, in an previous track, the artist had "dared his rival to make the pedophile claims" that featured in the diss record.

On the track Taylor Made Freestyle, Drake used the synthetic vocals of Tupac Shakur to give Lamar advice on how to prevail in the feud.

"Suggest he has a preference for minors, consider that a tip," the track suggested.

"Against this backdrop in which such lines as 'Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young' must be evaluated," wrote the court.

"The parallel in the wording strongly indicates that this line is a direct callback to the artist’s own words in the prior song."

'A Slap in the Face to Creatives'

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

His legal team alleged UMG of initiating "a campaign to create a popular song" out of a track that made the "false factual allegation that the artist is a convicted predator, and to suggest that the audience should resort to extra-legal action in retaliation".

Ruling against Drake, Judge Vargas said fans would not expect "accurate factual reporting" from a musical attack "filled with vulgar language, insults, threats of violence, and figurative and hyperbolic language."

She highlighted that Drake himself had engaged in comparable rhetoric, quoting a line in which the star "heavily" suggested that "his opponent is a spouse beater", and a separate instance where Drake "claims that he 'was told' that one of Lamar's children may not be biologically his."

Regarding Lamar's song, the court said: "Although seemingly factual claims may take on the nature of statements of opinion... when made in open discourse, heated labour dispute, or similar situations in which an audience may expect the use of slurs, passionate language or exaggeration."

Responding to the rejection, a label representative said: "From the beginning, this case was an affront to every creative and their creative expression and never should have seen the light of day."

"We're pleased with the judge’s ruling and look forward to continuing our work successfully promoting the artist’s work and investing in his artistic path," the spokesperson continued.

A representative for Drake said the artist planned to appeal the ruling, "and we await the appellate court reviewing it".

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