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

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

Drake submitted the lawsuit in January, accusing Universal Music Group, the record label behind both artists, of defamatory conduct by allowing the track to be released and marketed, stating it disseminated a "untrue and harmful story".

The artist’s spokesperson said he intended to challenge the decision. Universal Music Group expressed it was satisfied with the outcome and was eager to resuming its work with the musician.

Context of the Hip-Hop Feud

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

It has become the biggest hit of the rapper’s musical journey, having received multiple Grammy awards and being one of the most-discussed highlights of his Super Bowl half-time show in February.

In a detailed ruling, the judge called the row between the rappers "the most notorious hip-hop feud in the history of rap music".

"Both rappers’ seven-track rap battle was a 'verbal conflict' that was the focus of extensive press coverage and digital debate," the court noted.

"Although the claim that Drake is a child predator is undoubtedly a serious one, the broader context of a heated rap battle, with provocative remarks and offensive accusations exchanged by both participants, would not incline the reasonable listener to believe that 'the track' conveys verifiable facts about plaintiff."

She also noted that, in an earlier song, the artist had "dared his rival to make the paedophilia accusations" that appeared in the diss record.

On the song his own release, Drake used the AI-generated voice of Tupac Shakur to give Lamar advice on how to win the rap battle.

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

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

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

'A Slap in the Face to Creatives'

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

His legal team accused the label of launching "an effort to create a viral hit" out of a release that made the "false factual allegation that the artist is a convicted predator, and to imply that the audience should turn to vigilante justice in retaliation".

Ruling against Drake, the judge said fans would not expect "accurate factual reporting" from a diss track "filled with profanity, insults, threats of violence, and exaggerated statements."

She pointed out that the rapper himself had engaged in similar language, referencing a lyric in which the artist "heavily" implied that "Lamar is a spouse beater", and another where Drake "raps that he 'was told' that one of Lamar's sons may not be his biological offspring."

Concerning the track in question, the court said: "Although seemingly factual claims may assume the character of subjective views... when made in open discourse, intense arguments, or other circumstances in which an audience may expect the use of slurs, passionate language or hyperbole."

Reacting to the dismissal, a UMG representative said: "From the beginning, this case was an affront to all artists and their creative expression and never should have been filed."

"We are satisfied with the court's dismissal and look forward to continuing our work successfully marketing the artist’s work and supporting his artistic path," the representative added.

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

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