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A court official has dismissed the rapper Drake’s defamation lawsuit targeting Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar's song Not Like Us.

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

Drake filed the legal action in January, accusing UMG, the record label representing both artists, of defamatory conduct by allowing the song to be released and marketed, stating it disseminated a "untrue and harmful story".

Drake's representative stated he planned to challenge the decision. Universal Music Group expressed it was pleased with the outcome and was looking forward to resuming its work with the musician.

Background of the Rap Battle

The diss song, which was first dropped in May 2024, was widely seen as the decisive blow in an ongoing battle 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-talked about moments of his Super Bowl performance in February.

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

"Both rappers’ seven-track rap battle was a 'verbal conflict' that was the focus of substantial media scrutiny and digital debate," the court noted.

"Although the claim that Drake is a child predator is certainly a serious one, the broader context of a intense musical rivalry, with provocative remarks and offensive accusations hurled by each artist, would not lead the average audience to believe that 'Not Like Us' conveys truthful statements about the claimant."

She also noted that, in an previous track, the artist had "dared his rival to make the paedophilia accusations" that appeared in Not Like Us.

On the song Taylor Made Freestyle, the rapper used the AI-generated voice of the late rapper to give Lamar advice on how to win the rap battle.

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

"Against this backdrop in which such lyrics as 'Hey Drake, I’ve heard you prefer them young' must be assessed," stated Judge Vargas.

"The parallel in the wording suggests strongly that this lyric is a direct callback to the artist’s own words in the earlier release."

'An Affront to Artists'

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

His lawyers alleged the label of launching "an effort to generate a viral hit" out of a track that made the "untrue claim that Drake is a convicted predator, and to suggest that the audience should turn to vigilante justice in retaliation".

Deciding against Drake, the judge said fans would not expect "accurate factual reporting" from a musical attack "filled with profanity, insults, violent implications, and exaggerated statements."

She highlighted that Drake himself had used comparable rhetoric, referencing a line in which the artist "heavily" implied that "his opponent is a spouse beater", and a separate instance where Drake "raps that he 'heard' that one of Lamar's sons may not be biologically his."

Regarding Lamar's song, Judge Vargas said: "Although apparent statements of fact may take on the nature of subjective views... when made in public debate, heated labour dispute, or similar situations in which an audience may expect the use of slurs, passionate language or hyperbole."

Reacting to the dismissal, a UMG spokesperson said: "From the outset, this case was an insult to all artists and their creative expression and should not have seen the light of day."

"We are satisfied with the court's dismissal and look forward to resuming our work successfully marketing the artist’s work and supporting his career," the spokesperson added.

A spokesperson for the musician said the artist planned to appeal the decision, "and we await the Court of Appeals examining it".

Lamar has not yet issue a statement on the case.