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A judge has thrown out the rapper Drake’s legal claim targeting the music corporation concerning Kendrick Lamar's song Not Like Us.

Presiding Judge the court’s judge decided that the rapper’s song lyrics, which accused Drake and his associates of being "pedophiles", were "nonactionable opinion" and cannot be deemed defamatory.

The Canadian rapper submitted the legal action in early this year, accusing UMG, the music company behind the two rappers, of defamatory conduct by allowing the song to be released and promoted, stating it disseminated a "untrue and harmful story".

The artist’s representative said he planned to challenge the ruling. UMG said it was satisfied with the outcome and was eager to resuming its collaboration with the musician.

Background of the Rap Battle

The diss song, which was first dropped in May 2024, was broadly viewed as the decisive blow in an continuing feud between the rival rappers.

It has become the most successful track of the rapper’s musical journey, having won 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 artists "the most notorious hip-hop feud in the genre's history".

"The artists' series of diss tracks was a 'war of words' that was the subject of extensive press coverage and online discourse," the court noted.

"While the accusation that plaintiff is a pedophile is undoubtedly a grave allegation, 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' imparts verifiable facts about plaintiff."

She additionally observed that, in an earlier song, the artist had "dared Lamar to make the paedophilia accusations" that featured in Not Like Us.

On the track his own release, Drake used the AI-generated voice of the late rapper 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 lyrics as 'Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young' must be assessed," wrote Judge Vargas.

"The similarity in the wording suggests strongly that this lyric is a direct callback to Drake's lyrics in the earlier release."

'An Affront to Artists'

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

His lawyers accused the label of launching "a campaign to create a viral hit" out of a release that made the "false factual allegation that Drake is a criminal paedophile, and to imply that the audience should resort to extra-legal action in retaliation".

Deciding against the plaintiff, Judge Vargas said listeners would not expect "truthful accounts" from a diss track "replete with profanity, trash-talking, violent implications, and exaggerated statements."

She highlighted that Drake himself had engaged in comparable rhetoric, referencing a lyric in which the star "heavily" implied that "his opponent is a domestic abuser", and a separate instance where Drake "raps that he 'was told' that one of his rival’s sons may not be biologically his."

Regarding Lamar's song, Judge Vargas said: "Although seemingly factual claims may take on the nature of statements of opinion... when made in public debate, heated labour dispute, or other circumstances in which an audience may anticipate the use of epithets, fiery rhetoric or hyperbole."

Reacting to the rejection, a label spokesperson said: "From the beginning, this case was an affront to all artists and their artistic freedom and never should have been filed."

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

A representative for the musician said the artist intended to appeal the decision, "and we look forward to the Court of Appeals examining it".

Lamar has yet to comment on the legal matter.