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A judge has rejected the rapper Drake’s defamation lawsuit targeting the music corporation concerning Kendrick Lamar's song the diss record.

Judge Jeannette Vargas determined that the rapper’s song lyrics, which claimed Drake and his crew of being "pedophiles", were "nonactionable opinion" and could not be considered defamatory.

The Canadian rapper submitted the legal action in early this year, claiming UMG, the music company representing both artists, of defamation by permitting the track to be released and promoted, saying it disseminated a "untrue and harmful story".

The artist’s representative stated he intended to challenge the ruling. UMG expressed it was satisfied with the result and was looking forward to resuming its work with the musician.

Context of the Rap Battle

The diss song, which was first dropped in spring 2024, was broadly viewed as the decisive blow in an continuing feud between the rival rappers.

It has become 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 early 2025.

In a detailed ruling, Judge Vargas called the dispute between the rappers "the most notorious hip-hop feud in the history of rap music".

"The artists' series of diss tracks was a 'verbal conflict' that was the focus of extensive press coverage and online discourse," the court wrote.

"While the accusation that plaintiff is a pedophile is undoubtedly a grave allegation, the broader context of a heated rap battle, with incendiary language and insulting claims hurled by both participants, would not lead the average audience to believe that 'Not Like Us' conveys truthful statements about plaintiff."

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

On the track his own release, the rapper 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 track suggested.

"Against this backdrop in which such lyrics as 'Hey Drake, I’ve heard you prefer them young' must be evaluated," wrote the court.

"The similarity in the wording suggests strongly that this lyric is a direct callback to the artist’s own words in the prior song."

'An Affront to Artists'

Drake, whose real name is Aubrey Drake Graham, did not sue Lamar in the lawsuit.

His lawyers alleged UMG of launching "an effort to generate a viral hit" out of a release that made the "untrue claim that the artist is a criminal paedophile, and to suggest that the audience should resort to vigilante justice in response".

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

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

Concerning 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, heated labour dispute, or similar situations in which an listener may anticipate the use of epithets, passionate language or hyperbole."

Responding to the rejection, a UMG representative said: "From the outset, this lawsuit was an affront to every creative and their artistic freedom and should not have been filed."

"We are satisfied with the court's dismissal and are eager to resuming our work successfully marketing Drake's music and supporting his artistic path," the spokesperson continued.

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

Lamar has yet to comment on the case.