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A court official has thrown out Drake's legal claim against Universal Music Group concerning Kendrick Lamar’s track the diss record.

Judge Jeannette Vargas determined that Lamar's song lyrics, which claimed the artist and his associates of being "certified paedophiles", were "protected opinion" and could not be deemed libelous.

Drake filed the lawsuit in January, accusing UMG, the music company representing both artists, of defamatory conduct by allowing the track to be released and promoted, saying it spread a "untrue and harmful story".

Drake's spokesperson said he planned to appeal the decision. UMG said it was satisfied with the outcome and was eager to resuming its collaboration with the musician.

Context of the Hip-Hop Feud

The diss song, which was initially released in spring 2024, was broadly viewed as the decisive blow in an continuing feud between the rival rappers.

It has become the biggest hit of Lamar's musical journey, 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, the judge called the row between the rappers "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 subject of extensive press coverage and digital debate," the court wrote.

"Although the accusation that plaintiff is a pedophile is undoubtedly a grave allegation, the wider backdrop of a heated rap battle, with incendiary language and insulting claims exchanged by each artist, would not incline the reasonable listener to believe that 'Not Like Us' imparts truthful statements about the claimant."

She also noted that, in an previous track, Drake had "dared his rival to make the paedophilia accusations" that appeared in the diss record.

On the track his own release, the rapper used the AI-generated voice of the late rapper 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 lines as 'Hey Drake, I’ve heard you prefer them young' must be assessed," stated the court.

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

'An Affront to Artists'

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

His lawyers accused the label of initiating "a campaign to generate a viral hit" out of a track that made the "untrue claim that Drake is a convicted predator, and to imply that the public should resort to vigilante justice in response".

Ruling against the plaintiff, the judge said fans would not expect "accurate factual reporting" from a musical attack "replete with profanity, trash-talking, threats of violence, and exaggerated statements."

She highlighted that Drake himself had engaged in comparable rhetoric, quoting a lyric in which the artist "strongly" suggested that "his opponent is a domestic abuser", and a separate instance where he "claims that he 'heard' that one of Lamar's children may not be biologically his."

Concerning the track in question, Judge Vargas said: "Although seemingly factual claims may assume the character of statements of opinion... when made in public debate, intense arguments, or other circumstances in which an listener may anticipate the use of epithets, passionate language or hyperbole."

Responding to the dismissal, a label representative said: "From the beginning, 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 look forward to continuing our work successfully promoting the artist’s work and investing in his artistic path," the representative added.

A spokesperson for Drake said the rapper planned to contest the ruling, "and we await the Court of Appeals examining it".

Lamar has not yet comment on the case.