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A court official has dismissed the rapper Drake’s defamation lawsuit targeting Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar's track Not Like Us.

Judge the court’s judge determined that the rapper’s song lyrics, which claimed Drake and his crew of being "certified paedophiles", were "nonactionable opinion" and cannot be considered libelous.

The Canadian rapper filed the legal action in January, accusing UMG, the record label behind the two rappers, of defamatory conduct by permitting the song to be published and marketed, stating it disseminated a "false and malicious narrative".

Drake's representative stated he planned to challenge the ruling. Universal Music Group expressed it was satisfied with the result and was eager to resuming its collaboration with the rapper.

Context of the Hip-Hop Feud

Not Like Us, which was first dropped in May 2024, was widely seen as the decisive blow in an ongoing battle between the competing artists.

It has emerged as the most successful track of Lamar's career, having received five Grammys and being one of the most-discussed highlights of his Super Bowl half-time show in early 2025.

In a 38-page order, Judge Vargas called the row between the artists "the most notorious hip-hop feud in the genre's history".

"The artists' seven-track rap battle was a 'verbal conflict' that was the focus of extensive press coverage and online discourse," the court wrote.

"While the claim that Drake is a child predator is undoubtedly a serious one, the broader context of a intense musical rivalry, with incendiary language and offensive accusations exchanged by each artist, would not lead the reasonable listener to believe that 'Not Like Us' imparts verifiable facts about plaintiff."

She additionally observed that, in an previous track, the artist had "challenged Lamar to make the pedophile claims" that featured in Not Like Us.

On the song Taylor Made Freestyle, Drake used the AI-generated voice of the late rapper to give Lamar advice on how to win the rap battle.

"Suggest he has a preference for minors, consider that a tip," the song suggested.

"It is in this context in which such lines as 'Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young' must be evaluated," wrote the court.

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

'An Affront to Artists'

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

His legal team accused UMG of launching "an effort to create a popular song" out of a release that made the "untrue claim that the artist is a convicted predator, and to imply that the public should resort to vigilante justice in retaliation".

Ruling against the plaintiff, the judge said listeners would not expect "accurate factual reporting" from a diss track "replete with profanity, insults, threats of violence, and figurative and hyperbolic language."

She pointed out that the rapper himself had engaged in comparable rhetoric, referencing a line in which the star "heavily" suggested that "Lamar is a spouse beater", and another where he "raps that he 'heard' that one of Lamar's children may not be biologically his."

Regarding the track in question, Judge Vargas said: "Although seemingly factual claims may take on the nature of subjective views... when made in open discourse, intense arguments, or similar situations in which an listener may expect the use of epithets, fiery rhetoric or hyperbole."

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

"We're pleased with the judge’s ruling and are eager to resuming our work successfully marketing the artist’s work and investing in his artistic path," the spokesperson continued.

A representative for the musician said the rapper planned to contest the ruling, "and we look forward to the Court of Appeals reviewing it".

Lamar has yet to issue a statement on the case.