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A court official has rejected Drake's legal claim against the music corporation over Kendrick Lamar's track the diss record.

Presiding Judge Jeannette Vargas decided that Lamar's lyrics, which accused the artist and his crew of being "pedophiles", were "protected opinion" and cannot be deemed libelous.

Drake filed the legal action in early this year, claiming UMG, the record label behind the two rappers, of defamatory conduct by permitting the track to be released and marketed, saying it spread a "untrue and harmful story".

The artist’s spokesperson said he intended to appeal the decision. Universal Music Group expressed it was satisfied with the result and was looking forward to resuming its work with the musician.

Background of the Rap Battle

Not Like Us, which was first dropped in May 2024, was widely seen as the final strike in an continuing feud between the rival rappers.

It has become the biggest hit of the rapper’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 artists "the most notorious hip-hop feud in the history of rap music".

"The artists' series of diss tracks was a 'war of words' that was the focus of extensive press coverage and digital debate," the judge noted.

"While the claim that plaintiff is a pedophile is certainly a grave allegation, the wider backdrop of a heated rap battle, with provocative remarks and insulting claims hurled by both participants, would not incline the reasonable listener to believe that 'the track' conveys truthful statements about the claimant."

She additionally observed that, in an previous track, the artist had "challenged Lamar to make the paedophilia accusations" that appeared in Not Like Us.

On the song Taylor Made Freestyle, the rapper used the AI-generated voice 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," stated Judge Vargas.

"The similarity in the wording strongly indicates that this line is a direct callback 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 name Lamar in the legal filing.

His lawyers alleged UMG of initiating "a campaign to create a viral hit" out of a track that made the "untrue claim that the artist is a convicted predator, and to suggest that the audience should turn to extra-legal action in response".

Ruling against Drake, Judge Vargas said fans would not expect "truthful accounts" from a musical attack "replete with vulgar language, insults, violent implications, and figurative and hyperbolic language."

She pointed out that the rapper himself had used comparable rhetoric, referencing a lyric in which the artist "strongly" suggested that "Lamar is a domestic abuser", and another where he "claims that he 'heard' that one of his rival’s children may not be biologically his."

Regarding the track in question, Judge Vargas said: "Although apparent statements of fact may take on the nature of statements of opinion... when made in open discourse, intense arguments, or similar situations in which an listener may expect the use of slurs, passionate language or exaggeration."

Reacting to the rejection, a UMG representative said: "From the outset, this case was an affront 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 work effectively promoting the artist’s work and investing in his career," the representative continued.

A representative for the musician said the rapper intended to contest the decision, "and we await the appellate court examining it".

Kendrick Lamar has not yet comment on the case.