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A judge has dismissed the rapper Drake’s defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar's song the diss record.

Presiding Judge the court’s judge ruled that Lamar's song lyrics, which claimed Drake and his crew of being "pedophiles", were "protected opinion" and could not be considered defamatory.

The Canadian rapper submitted the lawsuit 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 "false and malicious narrative".

Drake's representative stated he planned to appeal the ruling. Universal Music Group expressed it was pleased with the outcome and was eager to resuming its work with the musician.

Context of the Rap Battle

The diss song, which was first dropped in spring 2024, was broadly viewed as the final strike in an continuing feud between the competing artists.

It has become the biggest hit of Lamar's career, having received five Grammys and being one of the most-discussed moments of his Super Bowl performance in early 2025.

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

"Both rappers’ series of diss tracks was a 'verbal conflict' that was the focus of substantial media scrutiny and digital debate," the judge wrote.

"While the claim that Drake is a child predator is certainly a serious one, the broader context of a intense musical rivalry, with incendiary language and offensive accusations exchanged by each artist, would not incline the average audience to believe that 'Not Like Us' conveys truthful statements about the claimant."

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

On the song Taylor Made Freestyle, Drake used the AI-generated voice of Tupac Shakur to give Lamar advice on how to prevail in the feud.

"Talk about him likin' young girls, that's a gift from me," the song proposed.

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

"The similarity in the wording strongly indicates that this lyric is a clear reference to Drake's lyrics in the prior song."

'An Affront to Artists'

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

His legal team alleged the label of initiating "a campaign to generate a popular song" out of a track that made the "false factual allegation that Drake is a convicted predator, and to imply that the public should resort to vigilante justice in response".

Deciding against Drake, Judge Vargas said fans would not expect "truthful accounts" from a diss track "filled with profanity, trash-talking, violent implications, and exaggerated statements."

She pointed out that Drake himself had used comparable rhetoric, quoting a line in which the artist "strongly" implied that "his opponent is a domestic abuser", and another where he "claims that he 'heard' that one of his rival’s children may not be biologically his."

Concerning the track in question, Judge Vargas said: "Although seemingly factual claims may take on the nature of statements of opinion... when made in open discourse, intense arguments, or other circumstances in which an listener may anticipate the use of slurs, passionate language or hyperbole."

Responding to the rejection, a label representative 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're pleased with the judge’s ruling and look forward to continuing our work successfully promoting the artist’s work and supporting his career," the spokesperson continued.

A spokesperson for the musician said the rapper intended to contest the ruling, "and we look forward to the appellate court examining it".

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