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A court official has dismissed Drake's legal claim against the music corporation over Kendrick Lamar’s song the diss record.

Judge Jeannette Vargas determined that the rapper’s song lyrics, which accused Drake and his crew of being "certified paedophiles", were "nonactionable opinion" and cannot be deemed defamatory.

The Canadian rapper submitted the legal action in January, claiming Universal Music Group, the record label behind the two rappers, of defamation by allowing the track to be published and promoted, stating it disseminated a "untrue and harmful story".

Drake's representative said he planned to appeal the decision. UMG said it was satisfied with the outcome and was eager to continuing its work with the musician.

Context of the Rap Battle

Not Like Us, which was first dropped in spring 2024, was widely seen as the decisive blow in an ongoing battle between the competing artists.

It has become the biggest hit of Lamar's musical journey, having won multiple Grammy awards and being one of the most-talked about moments of his Super Bowl half-time show in early 2025.

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

"The artists' seven-track rap battle was a 'verbal conflict' that was the subject of extensive press coverage and online discourse," the court noted.

"While the accusation that plaintiff is a pedophile is certainly a serious one, the wider backdrop of a intense musical rivalry, with provocative remarks and offensive accusations hurled by both participants, would not lead the average audience to believe that 'the track' imparts verifiable facts about plaintiff."

She also noted that, in an previous track, the artist had "challenged Lamar to make the pedophile claims" that appeared in the diss record.

On the song Taylor Made Freestyle, the rapper used the AI-generated voice of the late rapper to give Lamar advice on how to prevail in the feud.

"Suggest he has a preference for minors, consider that a tip," the track suggested.

"Against this backdrop in which such lyrics as 'Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young' must be assessed," stated the court.

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

'An Affront to Artists'

The musician, whose real name is Aubrey Graham, did not sue Lamar in the lawsuit.

His legal team accused the label of initiating "an effort to create a popular song" out of a release that made the "untrue claim that Drake is a convicted predator, and to imply that the public should turn to extra-legal action in retaliation".

Deciding against the plaintiff, the judge said listeners would not expect "truthful accounts" from a diss track "filled with profanity, insults, violent implications, and figurative and hyperbolic language."

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

Regarding Lamar's song, Judge Vargas said: "Even seemingly factual claims may assume the character of subjective views... when made in open discourse, heated labour dispute, or other circumstances in which an audience may anticipate the use of epithets, passionate language or exaggeration."

Reacting to the rejection, a UMG representative said: "From the beginning, this lawsuit was an affront to all artists and their creative expression and should not have been filed."

"We're pleased with the court's dismissal and look forward to resuming our partnership effectively promoting Drake's music and investing in his artistic path," the representative added.

A spokesperson for the musician said the artist intended to contest the ruling, "and we look forward to the appellate court examining it".

Lamar has not yet comment on the legal matter.