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

Judge Jeannette Vargas decided that the rapper’s lyrics, which claimed the artist and his crew of being "pedophiles", were "nonactionable opinion" and could not be considered libelous.

Drake submitted the legal action in early this year, claiming Universal Music Group, the record label representing both artists, of defamation by permitting the track to be published and marketed, stating it spread a "untrue and harmful story".

Drake's representative said he planned to appeal the ruling. UMG said it was satisfied with the outcome and was looking forward to resuming its work with the rapper.

Context of the Hip-Hop Feud

Not Like Us, which was initially released 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 the rapper’s musical journey, having received five Grammys and being one of the most-discussed 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 history of rap music".

"Both rappers’ series of diss tracks was a 'war of words' that was the focus of substantial media scrutiny and online discourse," the judge wrote.

"Although the accusation that Drake is a pedophile is undoubtedly a serious one, the broader context 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 verifiable facts about plaintiff."

She additionally observed that, in an previous track, Drake had "challenged Lamar to make the pedophile claims" that appeared in the diss record.

On the song Taylor Made Freestyle, the rapper 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 lines as 'Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young' must be evaluated," wrote Judge Vargas.

"The similarity in the phrasing strongly indicates that this line is a direct callback to the artist’s own words in the prior song."

'A Slap in the Face to Creatives'

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

His legal team accused UMG of launching "a campaign to create a viral hit" out of a release that made the "untrue claim that the artist is a convicted predator, and to suggest that the audience should turn to extra-legal action in response".

Deciding against the plaintiff, Judge Vargas said listeners would not expect "truthful accounts" from a diss track "filled with vulgar language, trash-talking, violent implications, and figurative and hyperbolic language."

She highlighted that the rapper himself had used comparable rhetoric, referencing a line in which the star "heavily" implied that "Lamar is a spouse beater", and a separate instance where Drake "claims that he 'heard' that one of Lamar's sons may not be biologically his."

Concerning the track in question, Judge Vargas said: "Even seemingly factual claims may assume the character of subjective views... when made in public debate, heated labour dispute, or other circumstances in which an audience may expect the use of slurs, fiery rhetoric or exaggeration."

Reacting to the dismissal, a UMG spokesperson said: "From the outset, this case was an affront to every creative and their artistic freedom and never should have seen the light of day."

"We are satisfied with the judge’s ruling and look forward to resuming our partnership effectively marketing the artist’s work and supporting his career," the representative continued.

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

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