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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.

Judge the court’s judge decided that Lamar's lyrics, which accused Drake and his associates of being "certified paedophiles", were "nonactionable opinion" and cannot be considered defamatory.

The Canadian rapper filed the lawsuit in early this year, claiming UMG, the record label behind the two rappers, of defamation by allowing the song to be published and promoted, saying it disseminated a "false and malicious narrative".

The artist’s spokesperson said he intended to challenge the ruling. UMG said it was satisfied with the result and was eager to resuming its collaboration with the rapper.

Context of the Rap Battle

The diss song, which was first dropped in May 2024, was widely seen as the final strike in an ongoing battle between the competing artists.

It has emerged as the biggest hit of Lamar's musical journey, having won five Grammys and being one of the most-discussed moments of his Super Bowl performance in February.

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

"Both rappers’ seven-track rap battle was a 'war of words' that was the subject of extensive press coverage and digital debate," the judge noted.

"While the accusation that plaintiff is a pedophile is undoubtedly a serious one, the broader context of a intense musical rivalry, with incendiary language and offensive accusations hurled by both participants, would not lead the reasonable listener to believe that 'the track' conveys truthful statements about the claimant."

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

On the track his own release, the rapper used the synthetic vocals 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 track suggested.

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

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

'An Affront to Artists'

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

His legal team alleged the label of initiating "an effort to generate a viral hit" out of a release that made the "false factual allegation that the artist is a criminal paedophile, and to suggest that the public should turn to vigilante justice in response".

Deciding against Drake, the judge said listeners would not expect "accurate factual reporting" from a diss track "replete with profanity, trash-talking, threats of violence, and figurative and hyperbolic language."

She highlighted that the rapper himself had used similar language, quoting a line in which the artist "heavily" implied that "his opponent is a spouse beater", and another where Drake "raps that he 'heard' that one of his rival’s children may not be biologically his."

Concerning the track in question, the court said: "Even seemingly factual claims may take on the nature of statements of opinion... when made in open discourse, intense arguments, or other circumstances in which an audience may anticipate the use of slurs, passionate language or hyperbole."

Responding to the dismissal, a UMG spokesperson said: "From the outset, this lawsuit was an affront to every creative and their artistic freedom and should not have been filed."

"We are satisfied with the judge’s ruling and are eager to resuming our partnership successfully marketing the artist’s work and supporting his artistic path," the spokesperson continued.

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

Kendrick Lamar has yet to comment on the legal matter.