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

Presiding Judge the court’s judge decided that Lamar's song lyrics, which claimed Drake and his associates of being "certified paedophiles", were "nonactionable opinion" and cannot be considered libelous.

Drake filed the legal action in January, claiming UMG, the music company behind both artists, of defamatory conduct by permitting the song to be released and marketed, saying it disseminated a "false and malicious narrative".

The artist’s representative said he planned to appeal the decision. UMG expressed it was satisfied with the result and was eager to resuming its work with the musician.

Context of the Rap Battle

The diss song, which was initially released in spring 2024, was widely seen as the decisive blow in an continuing feud between the competing artists.

It has emerged as the biggest hit of the rapper’s career, having received multiple Grammy awards and being one of the most-talked about moments of his Super Bowl performance in February.

In a detailed ruling, the judge called the row between the artists "the most infamous rap battle 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 noted.

"While the claim that Drake is a pedophile is undoubtedly a serious one, the wider backdrop of a heated rap battle, with incendiary language and offensive accusations exchanged by both participants, would not lead the average audience to believe that 'Not Like Us' imparts truthful statements about the claimant."

She also noted that, in an previous track, Drake had "dared his rival to make the pedophile claims" that appeared in the diss record.

On the song his own release, Drake used the synthetic vocals of Tupac Shakur to suggest strategies 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 the court.

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

'An Affront to Artists'

Drake, whose legal name is Aubrey Drake Graham, did not name Lamar in the legal filing.

His legal team accused UMG of launching "a campaign to generate a popular song" out of a release that made the "false factual allegation that Drake is a convicted predator, and to suggest that the audience should resort to vigilante justice in response".

Ruling against the plaintiff, the judge said listeners would not expect "truthful accounts" from a musical attack "filled with vulgar language, trash-talking, violent implications, and exaggerated statements."

She pointed out that Drake himself had engaged in similar language, quoting a line in which the star "strongly" suggested that "his opponent is a domestic abuser", and a separate instance where Drake "raps that he 'heard' that one of Lamar's children may not be his biological offspring."

Concerning the track in question, the court said: "Although seemingly factual claims may assume the character of statements of opinion... when made in public debate, intense arguments, or similar situations in which an listener may anticipate the use of slurs, fiery rhetoric or hyperbole."

Responding to the rejection, a label spokesperson said: "From the outset, this case was an affront to every creative and their artistic freedom and should not have seen the light of day."

"We're pleased with the court's dismissal and look forward to continuing our work effectively promoting Drake's music and supporting his artistic path," the representative added.

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

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