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A court official has dismissed the rapper Drake’s defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group concerning Kendrick Lamar's song Not Like Us.

Presiding Judge Jeannette Vargas decided that Lamar's lyrics, which claimed Drake and his crew of being "certified paedophiles", were "protected opinion" and could not be deemed libelous.

The Canadian rapper filed the legal action in January, accusing UMG, the record label representing the two rappers, of defamatory conduct by permitting the song to be released and promoted, saying it disseminated a "untrue and harmful story".

The artist’s spokesperson stated he intended to appeal the decision. UMG expressed it was pleased with the result and was eager to continuing its collaboration with the rapper.

Background of the Rap Battle

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

It has become the biggest hit of the rapper’s musical journey, having won multiple Grammy awards and being one of the most-talked about moments of his Super Bowl half-time show in early 2025.

In a detailed ruling, Judge Vargas called the row between the artists "the most infamous rap battle in the genre's history".

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

"While the claim that plaintiff is a pedophile is undoubtedly a grave allegation, the broader context of a heated rap battle, with provocative remarks and offensive accusations exchanged by each artist, would not incline the reasonable listener to believe that 'Not Like Us' conveys verifiable facts about plaintiff."

She also noted that, in an earlier song, the artist had "dared his rival to make the pedophile claims" that appeared in Not Like Us.

On the song Taylor Made Freestyle, Drake used the synthetic vocals of Tupac Shakur 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.

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

"The similarity in the wording suggests strongly that this line is a clear reference to Drake's lyrics in the earlier release."

'A Slap in the Face to Creatives'

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

His lawyers accused UMG of initiating "an effort to generate a viral hit" out of a track that made the "false factual allegation that Drake is a convicted predator, and to imply that the audience should resort to vigilante justice in response".

Deciding against the plaintiff, Judge Vargas said listeners would not expect "truthful accounts" from a musical attack "filled with profanity, insults, threats of violence, and figurative and hyperbolic language."

She highlighted that the rapper himself had used comparable rhetoric, quoting a lyric in which the star "heavily" suggested that "his opponent is a spouse beater", and another where Drake "claims that he 'was told' that one of his rival’s sons may not be his biological offspring."

Regarding Lamar's song, the court said: "Although apparent statements of fact may assume the character of statements of opinion... when made in public debate, intense arguments, or similar situations in which an listener may expect the use of epithets, passionate language or hyperbole."

Reacting to the dismissal, a UMG spokesperson said: "From the beginning, this case was an insult to all artists and their artistic freedom and should not have been filed."

"We are satisfied with the judge’s ruling and look forward to continuing our partnership successfully marketing Drake's music and investing in his artistic path," the spokesperson added.

A representative for Drake said the rapper intended to contest the decision, "and we await the Court of Appeals examining it".

Kendrick Lamar has yet to issue a statement on the legal matter.