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A court official has thrown out the rapper Drake’s defamation lawsuit against the music corporation concerning Kendrick Lamar’s track the diss record.

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

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

Drake's spokesperson stated he planned to appeal the ruling. UMG expressed it was satisfied with the outcome and was looking forward to continuing its work with the musician.

Background of the Rap Battle

The diss song, which was initially released in spring 2024, was broadly viewed as the final strike in an continuing feud between the competing artists.

It has become the biggest hit of Lamar's career, having received five Grammys and being one of the most-discussed highlights of his Super Bowl half-time show in early 2025.

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

"Both rappers’ series of diss tracks was a 'verbal conflict' that was the focus of substantial media scrutiny and digital debate," the court wrote.

"Although the claim that plaintiff is a child predator is certainly a grave allegation, the broader context of a intense musical rivalry, with incendiary language and offensive accusations hurled by each artist, would not lead the reasonable listener to believe that 'the track' imparts verifiable facts about plaintiff."

She also noted that, in an previous track, Drake had "dared his rival to make the pedophile claims" that featured in Not Like Us.

On the song his own release, the rapper used the synthetic vocals 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.

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

"The parallel in the wording strongly indicates that this line is a clear reference to Drake's lyrics in the prior song."

'A Slap in the Face to Creatives'

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

His lawyers accused UMG of launching "a campaign to create a popular song" out of a track that made the "false factual allegation that Drake is a convicted predator, and to suggest that the public should resort to vigilante justice in response".

Ruling against the plaintiff, Judge Vargas said fans would not expect "truthful accounts" from a musical attack "filled with vulgar language, insults, threats of violence, and exaggerated statements."

She highlighted that the rapper himself had engaged in similar language, referencing a line in which the artist "heavily" implied that "his opponent is a spouse beater", and another where he "claims that he 'was told' that one of his rival’s sons may not be biologically his."

Regarding the track in question, Judge Vargas said: "Even seemingly factual claims may take on the nature of subjective views... when made in public debate, intense arguments, or other circumstances in which an listener may expect the use of slurs, passionate language or exaggeration."

Reacting to the dismissal, a UMG representative said: "From the beginning, this lawsuit was an insult to all artists and their artistic freedom and should not have been filed."

"We're pleased with the court's dismissal and are eager to continuing our work effectively promoting the artist’s work and investing in his career," the representative continued.

A representative for Drake said the artist planned to appeal the ruling, "and we await the appellate court reviewing it".

Lamar has not yet issue a statement on the case.