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A court official has thrown out Drake's defamation lawsuit targeting the music corporation concerning Kendrick Lamar's track Not Like Us.

Judge Jeannette Vargas ruled that Lamar's song lyrics, which claimed the artist and his crew of being "pedophiles", were "protected opinion" and cannot be considered defamatory.

The Canadian rapper filed the legal action in early this year, claiming Universal Music Group, the record label representing both artists, of defamatory conduct by permitting the song to be published and marketed, stating it spread a "untrue and harmful story".

Drake's representative said he intended to challenge the decision. UMG said it was satisfied with the result and was looking forward to continuing its work with the rapper.

Background of the Hip-Hop Feud

The diss song, which was first dropped in spring 2024, was widely seen as the decisive blow in an continuing feud between the competing artists.

It has emerged as the most successful track of Lamar's career, having received 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 dispute between the rappers "the most notorious hip-hop feud in the genre's history".

"Both rappers’ series of diss tracks was a 'war of words' that was the focus of extensive press coverage and online discourse," the court noted.

"Although the claim that plaintiff is a child predator is undoubtedly a serious one, the wider backdrop of a intense musical rivalry, with incendiary language and offensive accusations exchanged by each artist, would not incline the reasonable listener to believe that 'Not Like Us' conveys verifiable facts about plaintiff."

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

On the track 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 suggested.

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

"The similarity in the phrasing suggests strongly that this line is a direct callback to Drake's lyrics in the prior song."

'An Affront to Artists'

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

His lawyers alleged the label of initiating "a campaign to generate a viral hit" out of a track that made the "false factual allegation that Drake is a criminal paedophile, and to suggest that the audience should resort to vigilante justice in response".

Ruling against the plaintiff, the judge said listeners would not expect "truthful accounts" from a musical attack "filled with profanity, trash-talking, violent implications, and figurative and hyperbolic language."

She pointed out that Drake himself had used similar language, referencing a line in which the artist "strongly" suggested that "Lamar is a spouse beater", and a separate instance where Drake "claims that he 'was told' that one of Lamar's sons may not be his biological offspring."

Regarding Lamar's song, Judge Vargas said: "Although apparent statements of fact may take on the nature of statements of opinion... when made in public debate, heated labour dispute, or similar situations in which an audience may anticipate the use of slurs, fiery rhetoric or exaggeration."

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

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

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 yet to comment on the case.