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

Judge Jeannette Vargas decided that the rapper’s song lyrics, which accused the artist and his crew of being "pedophiles", were "nonactionable opinion" and could not be deemed libelous.

Drake submitted the lawsuit in early this year, claiming UMG, the music company representing both artists, of defamatory conduct by permitting the track to be released and marketed, saying it spread a "false and malicious narrative".

Drake's spokesperson said he intended to appeal the decision. UMG said it was satisfied with the result and was eager to continuing its collaboration with the rapper.

Context of the Hip-Hop Feud

Not Like Us, which was first dropped in May 2024, was broadly viewed as the final strike in an continuing feud between the competing artists.

It has emerged as the biggest hit of the rapper’s musical journey, having won multiple Grammy awards and being one of the most-discussed highlights of his Super Bowl half-time show in February.

In a 38-page order, Judge Vargas called the row between the artists "the most infamous rap battle in the genre's history".

"Both rappers’ series of diss tracks was a 'war of words' that was the subject of extensive press coverage and online discourse," the judge wrote.

"Although the accusation that plaintiff is a pedophile is certainly a grave allegation, the wider backdrop of a intense musical rivalry, with incendiary language and offensive accusations hurled by each artist, would not lead the average audience to believe that 'the track' conveys truthful statements about plaintiff."

She also noted that, in an earlier song, the artist had "challenged his rival to make the pedophile claims" that appeared in the diss record.

On the song his own release, Drake used the synthetic vocals of Tupac Shakur to suggest strategies on how to win the rap battle.

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

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

"The parallel in the wording suggests strongly that this lyric is a direct callback to Drake's lyrics in the prior song."

'An Affront to Artists'

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

His legal team accused UMG of initiating "an effort to generate a popular song" out of a track that made the "untrue claim that the artist is a convicted predator, and to suggest that the public should turn to vigilante justice in retaliation".

Ruling against Drake, the judge said fans would not expect "truthful accounts" from a musical attack "replete with profanity, trash-talking, threats of violence, and figurative and hyperbolic language."

She highlighted that the rapper himself had used comparable rhetoric, quoting a lyric in which the star "strongly" suggested that "Lamar is a spouse beater", and a separate instance where he "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 subjective views... when made in open discourse, intense arguments, or similar situations in which an listener may anticipate the use of epithets, passionate language or exaggeration."

Reacting 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 been filed."

"We are satisfied with the court's dismissal and look forward to continuing our partnership effectively promoting Drake's music and investing in his artistic path," the representative added.

A representative for the musician said the artist intended to contest the ruling, "and we look forward to the Court of Appeals reviewing it".

Kendrick Lamar has yet to issue a statement on the case.