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A judge has dismissed the rapper Drake’s defamation lawsuit targeting Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar’s track the diss record.

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

The Canadian rapper submitted the legal action in early this year, accusing Universal Music Group, the music company behind the two rappers, of defamatory conduct by permitting the song to be released and promoted, stating it spread a "false and malicious narrative".

Drake's spokesperson stated he planned to appeal the decision. Universal Music Group expressed it was pleased with the result and was eager to continuing its work with the rapper.

Context of the Hip-Hop Feud

The diss song, which was first dropped in spring 2024, was widely seen 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 five Grammys and being one of the most-talked about moments of his Super Bowl half-time show in February.

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

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

"Although the claim that Drake is a pedophile is certainly a serious one, the broader context of a heated rap battle, with incendiary language and offensive accusations hurled by both participants, would not incline the reasonable listener to believe that 'Not Like Us' conveys truthful statements about plaintiff."

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

On the song his own release, Drake used the AI-generated voice of Tupac Shakur to give Lamar advice on how to win the rap battle.

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

"It is in this context in which such lines as 'Hey Drake, I’ve heard you prefer them young' must be evaluated," stated Judge Vargas.

"The similarity in the phrasing strongly indicates that this lyric is a clear reference to Drake's lyrics in the earlier release."

'An Affront to Artists'

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

His legal team alleged UMG of initiating "a campaign to create a popular song" out of a release that made the "untrue claim that the artist is a criminal paedophile, and to suggest that the audience should turn to vigilante justice in response".

Ruling against the plaintiff, the judge said listeners would not expect "accurate factual reporting" from a diss track "filled with profanity, trash-talking, violent implications, and exaggerated statements."

She pointed out that the rapper himself had engaged in comparable rhetoric, referencing a line in which the star "strongly" suggested that "Lamar is a spouse beater", and a separate instance where Drake "raps that he 'heard' that one of his rival’s sons may not be his biological offspring."

Concerning Lamar's song, Judge Vargas said: "Although seemingly factual claims may assume the character of statements of opinion... when made in open discourse, heated labour dispute, or similar situations in which an listener may expect the use of slurs, fiery rhetoric or exaggeration."

Reacting to the rejection, a UMG representative said: "From the beginning, this lawsuit was an affront to every creative and their artistic freedom and never should have seen the light of day."

"We're pleased with the judge’s ruling and are eager to continuing our work effectively promoting the artist’s work and supporting his career," the spokesperson continued.

A spokesperson for Drake said the artist planned to appeal the decision, "and we await the Court of Appeals examining it".

Kendrick Lamar has not yet issue a statement on the legal matter.