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A court official has dismissed the rapper Drake’s legal claim targeting the music corporation over Kendrick Lamar’s song the diss record.

Judge Jeannette Vargas decided that the rapper’s song lyrics, which claimed Drake and his crew of being "pedophiles", were "nonactionable opinion" and cannot be deemed libelous.

Drake submitted the lawsuit in January, accusing Universal Music Group, the record label behind both artists, of defamation by allowing the track to be released and promoted, saying it spread a "false and malicious narrative".

Drake's representative stated he planned to appeal the ruling. UMG expressed it was satisfied with the outcome and was looking forward to continuing its work with the rapper.

Background of the Hip-Hop Feud

Not Like Us, which was initially released in May 2024, was broadly viewed as the final strike in an ongoing battle between the rival rappers.

It has emerged as the biggest hit of the rapper’s musical journey, having won five Grammys and being one of the most-discussed moments of his Super Bowl performance in February.

In a detailed ruling, 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 substantial media scrutiny and digital debate," the judge noted.

"While the claim that Drake is a child predator is certainly a serious one, the broader context of a intense musical rivalry, with incendiary language and insulting claims exchanged by both participants, would not incline the average audience to believe that 'Not Like Us' conveys truthful statements about the claimant."

She additionally observed that, in an earlier song, Drake had "dared Lamar to make the pedophile claims" that featured in the diss record.

On the track Taylor Made Freestyle, the rapper used the synthetic vocals 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 song proposed.

"It is in this context in which such lines as 'Hey Drake, I’ve heard you prefer them young' must be assessed," stated the court.

"The similarity in the phrasing strongly indicates that this lyric is a direct callback to Drake's lyrics in the earlier release."

'An Affront to Artists'

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

His lawyers accused UMG of launching "an effort to create a popular song" out of a release that made the "false factual allegation that the artist is a convicted predator, and to suggest that the audience should resort to vigilante justice in response".

Ruling against the plaintiff, the judge said fans would not expect "accurate factual reporting" from a musical attack "filled with vulgar language, insults, threats of violence, and exaggerated statements."

She highlighted that the rapper himself had engaged in comparable rhetoric, quoting a lyric in which the artist "heavily" implied that "Lamar is a domestic abuser", and a separate instance where he "claims that he 'heard' that one of Lamar's children may not be his biological offspring."

Regarding the track in question, the court said: "Although apparent statements of fact may take on the nature of statements of opinion... when made in open discourse, intense arguments, or other circumstances in which an audience may anticipate the use of slurs, fiery rhetoric or exaggeration."

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

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

A spokesperson for Drake said the artist planned to contest the decision, "and we look forward to the Court of Appeals examining it".

Lamar has yet to issue a statement on the case.