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A court official has thrown out the rapper Drake’s legal claim against Universal Music Group concerning Kendrick Lamar's track Not Like Us.

Judge the court’s judge determined that Lamar's lyrics, which accused the artist and his crew of being "pedophiles", were "protected opinion" and could not be considered libelous.

The Canadian rapper filed the lawsuit in January, accusing Universal Music Group, the record label behind both artists, of defamatory conduct by permitting the song to be released and marketed, saying it spread a "false and malicious narrative".

The artist’s representative said he intended to challenge the decision. Universal Music Group said it was satisfied with the result and was looking forward to resuming its collaboration with the musician.

Context of the Rap Battle

The diss song, which was initially released in May 2024, was widely seen as the decisive blow in an continuing feud between the rival rappers.

It has emerged as the biggest hit of the rapper’s career, having received five Grammys 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 artists "the most infamous rap battle in the genre's history".

"The artists' series of diss tracks was a 'verbal conflict' that was the focus of substantial media scrutiny and digital debate," the judge wrote.

"While the claim that plaintiff is a pedophile is undoubtedly a serious one, the broader context of a heated rap battle, 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 the claimant."

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

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

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

"It is in this context in which such lines as 'Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young' must be evaluated," wrote the court.

"The similarity in the wording suggests strongly that this lyric is a clear reference 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 his rival in the lawsuit.

His lawyers alleged UMG of launching "an effort to generate a viral hit" out of a track that made the "false factual allegation that the artist is a convicted predator, and to imply that the audience should resort to vigilante justice in retaliation".

Ruling against Drake, the judge said fans would not expect "truthful accounts" from a diss track "filled with profanity, trash-talking, threats of violence, and exaggerated statements."

She pointed out that the rapper himself had used 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 his rival’s children may not be biologically his."

Concerning Lamar's song, the court said: "Even seemingly factual claims may take on the nature of subjective views... when made in public debate, heated labour dispute, or other circumstances in which an audience may expect the use of epithets, fiery rhetoric or exaggeration."

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

"We are satisfied with the judge’s ruling and are eager to continuing our partnership effectively marketing the artist’s work and investing in his artistic path," the representative added.

A representative for Drake said the artist planned to appeal the decision, "and we look forward to the Court of Appeals reviewing it".

Kendrick Lamar has not yet issue a statement on the case.