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A court official has dismissed the rapper Drake’s defamation lawsuit targeting the music corporation over Kendrick Lamar's song the diss record.

Presiding Judge Jeannette Vargas ruled that the rapper’s lyrics, which accused Drake and his crew of being "certified paedophiles", were "nonactionable opinion" and could not be deemed libelous.

The Canadian rapper submitted the lawsuit in January, accusing Universal Music Group, the record label behind both artists, of defamatory conduct by allowing the song to be published and promoted, stating it spread a "false and malicious narrative".

Drake's representative said he planned to appeal the ruling. UMG said it was pleased with the result and was eager to continuing its work with the rapper.

Background of the Rap Battle

Not Like Us, which was initially released in May 2024, was widely seen as the decisive blow in an continuing feud between the rival rappers.

It has emerged as the biggest hit of the rapper’s musical journey, having received multiple Grammy awards and being one of the most-talked about moments of his Super Bowl half-time show in early 2025.

In a 38-page order, the judge called the dispute between the rappers "the most infamous rap battle in the genre's history".

"Both rappers’ series of diss tracks was a 'verbal conflict' that was the focus of extensive press coverage and digital debate," the judge wrote.

"While the accusation that Drake is a child predator is undoubtedly a grave allegation, the wider backdrop of a heated rap battle, with provocative remarks and offensive accusations exchanged by each artist, would not lead the reasonable listener to believe that 'the track' conveys verifiable facts about the claimant."

She also noted that, in an previous track, Drake had "dared Lamar to make the paedophilia accusations" that appeared 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.

"Talk about him likin' young girls, that's a gift from me," the track suggested.

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

"The parallel in the wording strongly indicates that this lyric is a clear reference to the artist’s own words in the earlier release."

'A Slap in the Face to Creatives'

Drake, whose real name is Aubrey Drake Graham, did not sue his rival in the legal filing.

His legal team accused UMG of launching "a campaign to create a popular song" out of a release that made the "untrue claim that the artist is a convicted predator, and to suggest that the audience should resort to extra-legal action in response".

Ruling against Drake, Judge Vargas said fans would not expect "truthful accounts" from a musical attack "replete with vulgar language, insults, threats of violence, and figurative and hyperbolic language."

She highlighted that Drake himself had used comparable rhetoric, referencing a line in which the star "strongly" implied that "Lamar is a spouse beater", and another where he "claims that he 'heard' that one of Lamar's children may not be his biological offspring."

Regarding Lamar's song, the court said: "Even apparent statements of fact may take on the nature of subjective views... when made in public debate, heated labour dispute, or other circumstances in which an listener may anticipate the use of epithets, fiery rhetoric or exaggeration."

Responding to the dismissal, a label spokesperson said: "From the beginning, this case was an insult to every creative and their creative expression and never should have been filed."

"We are satisfied with the judge’s ruling and are eager to continuing our work effectively marketing Drake's music and supporting his artistic path," the spokesperson added.

A spokesperson for the musician said the rapper intended to appeal the ruling, "and we await the appellate court examining it".

Lamar has yet to comment on the legal matter.