🔗 Share this article

A court official has rejected Drake's defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar’s track the diss record.

Presiding Judge the court’s judge determined that Lamar's lyrics, which claimed the artist and his crew of being "certified paedophiles", were "nonactionable opinion" and could not be considered libelous.

The Canadian rapper submitted the lawsuit in January, claiming UMG, the music company behind the two rappers, of defamatory conduct by permitting the track to be published and promoted, stating it spread a "false and malicious narrative".

The artist’s spokesperson stated he planned to challenge the decision. Universal Music Group said it was pleased with the outcome and was eager to resuming its collaboration with the rapper.

Context of the Rap Battle

Not Like Us, which was first dropped 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 musical journey, having won multiple Grammy awards and being one of the most-talked about highlights of his Super Bowl half-time show in early 2025.

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

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

"While the claim that plaintiff is a pedophile is undoubtedly a grave allegation, the wider backdrop of a intense musical rivalry, with provocative remarks and insulting claims hurled by both participants, 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 "dared Lamar to make the pedophile claims" that appeared in Not Like Us.

On the song Taylor Made Freestyle, the rapper 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 'Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young' must be assessed," stated the court.

"The similarity in the phrasing strongly indicates that this lyric is a direct callback to Drake's lyrics in the prior song."

'An Affront to Artists'

Drake, whose legal name is Aubrey Drake Graham, did not sue his rival in the lawsuit.

His lawyers alleged the label of initiating "a campaign to create a popular song" out of a release that made the "false factual allegation that Drake is a convicted predator, and to suggest that the public should turn to extra-legal action in response".

Deciding against the plaintiff, Judge Vargas said fans would not expect "accurate factual reporting" from a musical attack "filled with profanity, insults, threats of violence, and figurative and hyperbolic language."

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

Regarding the track in question, the court said: "Although seemingly factual claims may assume the character of subjective views... when made in open discourse, heated labour dispute, or similar situations in which an audience may anticipate the use of epithets, fiery rhetoric or exaggeration."

Responding to the rejection, a UMG spokesperson said: "From the beginning, this case was an insult to all artists and their artistic freedom and never should have been filed."

"We're pleased with the judge’s ruling and look forward to continuing our work successfully marketing Drake's music and supporting his artistic path," the representative added.

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

Kendrick Lamar has not yet comment on the case.