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A court official has thrown out the rapper Drake’s defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group concerning Kendrick Lamar's track Not Like Us.

Presiding Judge Jeannette Vargas determined that Lamar's song lyrics, which claimed Drake and his associates of being "pedophiles", were "nonactionable opinion" and could not be considered libelous.

The Canadian rapper submitted the lawsuit in early this year, claiming Universal Music Group, the record label behind both artists, of defamatory conduct by permitting the track to be published and marketed, saying it spread a "false and malicious narrative".

The artist’s spokesperson said he planned to appeal the ruling. Universal Music Group expressed it was satisfied with the result and was eager to resuming its work with the rapper.

Context of the Hip-Hop Feud

Not Like Us, which was initially released in spring 2024, was widely seen as the decisive blow in an continuing feud between the competing artists.

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

In a detailed ruling, Judge Vargas called the row between the artists "the most infamous rap battle in the genre's history".

"The artists' series of diss tracks was a 'war of words' that was the focus of substantial media scrutiny and online discourse," the judge noted.

"While the accusation that plaintiff is a pedophile is undoubtedly a serious one, the broader context of a heated rap battle, with incendiary language and offensive accusations exchanged by each artist, would not incline the reasonable listener to believe that 'the track' conveys truthful statements about plaintiff."

She also noted that, in an previous track, the artist had "challenged his rival to make the paedophilia accusations" that featured in the diss record.

On the track his own release, the rapper used the AI-generated voice of the late rapper 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 proposed.

"Against this backdrop in which such lyrics as 'Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young' must be assessed," wrote Judge Vargas.

"The parallel 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 legal name is Aubrey Graham, did not sue Lamar in the lawsuit.

His lawyers alleged UMG of initiating "a campaign to generate 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 public should turn to extra-legal action in retaliation".

Ruling against Drake, Judge Vargas said fans would not expect "truthful accounts" from a musical attack "filled with vulgar language, trash-talking, violent implications, and figurative and hyperbolic language."

She pointed out that Drake himself had engaged in comparable rhetoric, quoting a lyric in which the star "strongly" suggested that "his opponent is a domestic abuser", and another where Drake "raps that he 'was told' that one of his rival’s children may not be his biological offspring."

Regarding the track in question, Judge Vargas said: "Even apparent statements of fact may assume the character of statements of opinion... when made in open discourse, intense arguments, or similar situations in which an audience may expect the use of slurs, passionate language or hyperbole."

Responding to the rejection, a label spokesperson said: "From the outset, this case was an affront to every creative and their artistic freedom and should not have seen the light of day."

"We're pleased with the judge’s ruling and are eager to continuing our partnership effectively marketing the artist’s work and investing in his artistic path," the spokesperson continued.

A spokesperson for Drake said the artist intended to appeal the decision, "and we await the appellate court reviewing it".

Kendrick Lamar has not yet comment on the case.