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A judge has rejected the rapper Drake’s defamation lawsuit targeting Universal Music Group concerning Kendrick Lamar's track Not Like Us.

Presiding Judge Jeannette Vargas ruled that the rapper’s song lyrics, which claimed Drake and his associates of being "certified paedophiles", were "nonactionable opinion" and cannot be deemed defamatory.

Drake submitted the lawsuit in January, claiming Universal Music Group, the record label representing both artists, of defamation by allowing the song to be released and marketed, saying it disseminated a "false and malicious narrative".

Drake's spokesperson said he planned to appeal the decision. UMG expressed it was satisfied with the outcome and was eager to resuming its collaboration with the rapper.

Background of the Hip-Hop Feud

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

It has become the most successful track of the rapper’s musical journey, having won multiple Grammy awards and being one of the most-talked about highlights of his Super Bowl performance in February.

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' seven-track rap battle was a 'verbal conflict' that was the focus of substantial media scrutiny and online discourse," the judge noted.

"Although the claim that plaintiff is a pedophile is undoubtedly a serious one, the broader context of a intense musical rivalry, with provocative remarks and offensive accusations hurled by each artist, would not lead the average audience to believe that 'the track' conveys truthful statements about the claimant."

She additionally observed that, in an earlier song, the artist had "dared Lamar to make the paedophilia accusations" that featured in Not Like Us.

On the track his own release, the rapper used the AI-generated voice of Tupac Shakur to give Lamar advice on how to win the rap battle.

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

"Against this backdrop in which such lines as 'Hey Drake, I’ve heard you prefer them young' must be assessed," wrote Judge Vargas.

"The parallel in the wording suggests strongly that this line is a direct callback to Drake's lyrics in the earlier release."

'An Affront to Artists'

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

His lawyers accused the label of initiating "an effort to create a viral hit" out of a track that made the "untrue claim that Drake is a convicted predator, and to suggest that the audience should resort to vigilante justice in retaliation".

Deciding against Drake, the judge said listeners would not expect "accurate factual reporting" from a musical attack "replete with vulgar language, trash-talking, violent implications, and figurative and hyperbolic language."

She highlighted that Drake himself had used comparable rhetoric, quoting a line in which the star "strongly" suggested that "Lamar is a spouse beater", and another where he "claims that he 'was told' that one of his rival’s children may not be biologically his."

Regarding Lamar's song, the court said: "Although apparent statements of fact may take on the nature of subjective views... when made in public debate, heated labour dispute, or other circumstances in which an listener may expect the use of slurs, passionate language or exaggeration."

Responding to the dismissal, a label representative said: "From the outset, this lawsuit was an affront to every creative and their creative expression and never should have seen the light of day."

"We're pleased with the court's dismissal and look forward to continuing our work successfully marketing the artist’s work and supporting his artistic path," the representative continued.

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

Kendrick Lamar has yet to comment on the case.