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A judge has dismissed the rapper Drake’s defamation lawsuit targeting Universal Music Group concerning Kendrick Lamar's track the diss record.

Judge the court’s judge ruled that Lamar's song lyrics, which accused Drake and his associates of being "certified paedophiles", were "nonactionable opinion" and cannot be deemed defamatory.

Drake submitted the legal action in early this year, accusing Universal Music Group, the music company representing the two rappers, of defamatory conduct by permitting the song to be published and promoted, saying it disseminated a "untrue and harmful story".

Drake's spokesperson said he intended to challenge the decision. Universal Music Group said it was pleased with the outcome and was looking forward to continuing its work with the rapper.

Context of the Hip-Hop Feud

Not Like Us, which was initially released in spring 2024, was widely seen as the final strike in an continuing feud between the competing artists.

It has become the most successful track of the rapper’s career, having won five Grammys and being one of the most-talked about moments of his Super Bowl performance in February.

In a detailed ruling, the judge called the row between the rappers "the most notorious hip-hop feud in the genre's history".

"The artists' series of diss tracks was a 'verbal conflict' that was the focus of substantial media scrutiny and online discourse," the court wrote.

"Although the claim that plaintiff is a pedophile is undoubtedly a serious one, the wider backdrop of a intense musical rivalry, with provocative remarks and insulting claims exchanged by both participants, would not lead the reasonable listener to believe that 'Not Like Us' conveys verifiable facts about the claimant."

She additionally observed that, in an previous track, Drake had "challenged Lamar to make the pedophile claims" that featured in Not Like Us.

On the track Taylor Made Freestyle, Drake 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 song suggested.

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

"The parallel in the phrasing strongly indicates that this line is a direct callback to the artist’s own words in the prior song."

'An Affront to Artists'

Drake, whose legal name is Aubrey Drake Graham, did not name Lamar in the legal filing.

His lawyers alleged UMG of initiating "an effort to create a viral hit" out of a release that made the "false factual allegation that the artist is a criminal paedophile, and to imply that the public should resort to extra-legal action in retaliation".

Deciding against the plaintiff, Judge Vargas said listeners would not expect "accurate factual reporting" from a diss track "filled with profanity, trash-talking, violent implications, and exaggerated statements."

She highlighted that Drake himself had engaged in comparable rhetoric, quoting a lyric in which the artist "heavily" implied that "Lamar is a spouse beater", and another where Drake "raps that he 'heard' that one of his rival’s sons may not be biologically his."

Regarding the track in question, the court said: "Even apparent statements of fact may assume the character of subjective views... when made in public debate, intense arguments, or other circumstances in which an audience may anticipate the use of slurs, passionate language or hyperbole."

Reacting to the rejection, a UMG representative said: "From the outset, this lawsuit was an insult to every creative and their creative expression and never should have seen the light of day."

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

A representative for Drake said the artist intended to appeal the ruling, "and we look forward to the appellate court examining it".

Kendrick Lamar has not yet comment on the case.