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A court official has rejected Drake's defamation lawsuit targeting the music corporation over Kendrick Lamar’s track Not Like Us.

Judge the court’s judge decided that the rapper’s lyrics, which accused Drake and his crew of being "pedophiles", were "protected opinion" and cannot be deemed defamatory.

The Canadian rapper submitted the lawsuit in January, accusing UMG, the record label representing both artists, of defamation by allowing the song to be published and promoted, saying it disseminated a "false and malicious narrative".

The artist’s spokesperson said he intended to challenge the ruling. Universal Music Group expressed it was satisfied with the outcome and was eager to continuing its collaboration with the musician.

Context of the Rap Battle

Not Like Us, which was first dropped in spring 2024, was broadly viewed as the final strike in an ongoing battle between the rival rappers.

It has become the most successful track of Lamar's career, having received multiple Grammy awards and being one of the most-talked about moments of his Super Bowl performance in early 2025.

In a detailed ruling, the judge called the dispute between the artists "the most infamous rap battle in the history of rap music".

"Both rappers’ seven-track rap battle was a 'war of words' that was the subject of substantial media scrutiny and online discourse," the court wrote.

"While the accusation that plaintiff is a child predator is undoubtedly a grave allegation, the broader context of a intense musical rivalry, with provocative remarks and insulting claims exchanged by both participants, would not lead the average audience to believe that 'the track' imparts truthful statements about plaintiff."

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

On the song Taylor Made Freestyle, the rapper used the AI-generated voice of the late rapper 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 suggested.

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

"The parallel in the phrasing strongly indicates that this line is a clear reference to the artist’s own words in the earlier release."

'A Slap in the Face to Creatives'

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

His lawyers alleged the label of launching "a campaign to create a popular song" out of a track that made the "untrue claim that the artist is a convicted predator, and to imply that the public should resort to extra-legal action in response".

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

She highlighted that Drake himself had used comparable rhetoric, referencing a line in which the artist "heavily" suggested that "his opponent is a domestic abuser", and a separate instance where he "raps that he 'heard' that one of Lamar's sons may not be biologically his."

Regarding Lamar's song, the court said: "Even 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 audience may expect the use of slurs, fiery rhetoric or exaggeration."

Reacting to the rejection, a UMG spokesperson said: "From the beginning, this case was an insult to all artists and their creative expression and should not have seen the light of day."

"We are satisfied with the judge’s ruling and are eager to continuing our work effectively promoting the artist’s work and investing in his artistic path," the representative added.

A representative for Drake said the artist planned to contest the ruling, "and we await the appellate court examining it".

Lamar has not yet issue a statement on the legal matter.