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A court official has rejected the rapper Drake’s defamation lawsuit against the music corporation concerning Kendrick Lamar’s track Not Like Us.

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

The Canadian rapper submitted the lawsuit in January, claiming UMG, the record label behind both artists, of defamatory conduct by allowing the track to be published and marketed, saying it spread a "untrue and harmful story".

Drake's representative stated he planned to appeal the decision. UMG expressed it was pleased with the outcome and was looking forward to continuing its collaboration with the rapper.

Context of the Rap Battle

The diss song, which was first dropped in spring 2024, was broadly viewed as the final strike in an ongoing battle between the competing artists.

It has become the most successful track of Lamar's career, having won five Grammys and being one of the most-discussed highlights of his Super Bowl half-time show in early 2025.

In a detailed ruling, Judge Vargas called the row between the rappers "the most infamous rap battle in the history of rap music".

"Both rappers’ seven-track rap battle was a 'war of words' that was the subject of extensive press coverage and digital debate," the court wrote.

"Although the accusation that plaintiff is a pedophile is certainly a grave allegation, the wider backdrop of a intense musical rivalry, with provocative remarks and insulting claims hurled by each artist, would not lead the reasonable listener to believe that 'Not Like Us' imparts verifiable facts about the claimant."

She additionally observed that, in an earlier song, the artist had "challenged his rival to make the pedophile claims" that appeared in the diss record.

On the track his own release, Drake used the AI-generated voice of Tupac Shakur to give Lamar advice on how to prevail in the feud.

"Suggest he has a preference for minors, consider that a tip," the song proposed.

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

"The similarity in the wording strongly indicates that this lyric is a clear reference to the artist’s own words in the earlier release."

'A Slap in the Face to Creatives'

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

His lawyers accused UMG of launching "an effort to create a popular song" out of a release that made the "untrue claim that Drake is a criminal paedophile, and to suggest that the audience should resort to vigilante justice in response".

Deciding against Drake, Judge Vargas said listeners would not expect "truthful accounts" from a musical attack "replete with profanity, trash-talking, threats of violence, and figurative and hyperbolic language."

She pointed out that Drake himself had engaged in similar language, quoting a lyric in which the artist "strongly" suggested that "Lamar is a domestic abuser", and a separate instance where Drake "claims that he 'heard' that one of his rival’s sons may not be his biological offspring."

Concerning Lamar's song, the court said: "Even seemingly factual claims may assume the character of statements of opinion... when made in open discourse, intense arguments, or other circumstances in which an audience may anticipate the use of epithets, passionate language or hyperbole."

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

"We are satisfied with the judge’s ruling and are eager to resuming our partnership effectively promoting Drake's music and investing in his career," the spokesperson continued.

A representative for the musician said the rapper intended to appeal the decision, "and we await the Court of Appeals reviewing it".

Kendrick Lamar has yet to issue a statement on the legal matter.