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A court official has dismissed Drake's defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar’s track the diss record.

Presiding Judge Jeannette Vargas decided that the rapper’s song lyrics, which accused the artist and his associates of being "certified paedophiles", were "protected opinion" and could not be deemed defamatory.

Drake filed the legal action in early this year, claiming Universal Music Group, the music company behind the two rappers, of defamation by permitting the song to be released and marketed, saying it spread a "false and malicious narrative".

Drake's representative said he intended to appeal the ruling. UMG expressed it was pleased with the result and was looking forward to resuming its work with the rapper.

Context of the Rap Battle

Not Like Us, which was initially released in May 2024, was widely seen as the final strike in an ongoing battle between the competing artists.

It has become the biggest hit of the rapper’s musical journey, having won multiple Grammy awards and being one of the most-talked about highlights of his Super Bowl performance in early 2025.

In a 38-page order, 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 focus of extensive press coverage and online discourse," the judge noted.

"Although the accusation that plaintiff is a pedophile is undoubtedly a grave allegation, the broader context of a heated rap battle, with provocative remarks and offensive accusations exchanged by both participants, would not incline the average audience to believe that 'the track' conveys truthful statements about plaintiff."

She also noted that, in an earlier song, the artist had "dared his rival to make the pedophile claims" that appeared in Not Like Us.

On the song his own release, the rapper used the synthetic vocals of the late rapper to suggest strategies on how to prevail in the feud.

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

"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 similarity in the wording strongly indicates that this line is a direct callback to the artist’s own words in the prior song."

'An Affront to Artists'

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

His legal team accused UMG of initiating "an effort to generate a viral hit" out of a track that made the "untrue claim that the artist is a criminal paedophile, and to imply that the public should turn to extra-legal action in retaliation".

Deciding against Drake, the judge said listeners would not expect "accurate factual reporting" from a diss track "filled with vulgar language, insults, threats of violence, and figurative and hyperbolic language."

She highlighted that the rapper himself had engaged in comparable rhetoric, quoting a lyric in which the star "heavily" implied that "his opponent is a domestic abuser", and another where he "claims that he 'was told' that one of his rival’s sons may not be biologically his."

Concerning the track in question, the court said: "Although apparent statements of fact may take on the nature of statements of opinion... when made in open discourse, intense arguments, or other circumstances in which an audience may expect the use of slurs, passionate language or exaggeration."

Reacting to the dismissal, a UMG spokesperson said: "From the beginning, this lawsuit was an insult to all artists and their creative expression and never should have been filed."

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

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

Lamar has yet to comment on the case.