🔗 Share this article

A court official has thrown out the rapper Drake’s defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar's song the diss record.

Presiding Judge the court’s judge decided that Lamar's lyrics, which claimed Drake and his associates of being "certified paedophiles", were "protected opinion" and could not be considered defamatory.

Drake filed the lawsuit in January, accusing UMG, the music company behind the two rappers, of defamation by permitting the song to be published and promoted, stating it spread a "untrue and harmful story".

The artist’s representative stated he intended to appeal the decision. Universal Music Group expressed it was satisfied with the outcome and was eager to continuing its work with the musician.

Background of the Hip-Hop Feud

The diss song, which was first dropped in May 2024, was broadly viewed as the final strike in an continuing feud between the rival rappers.

It has emerged as the most successful track of Lamar's musical journey, having received multiple Grammy awards and being one of the most-talked about highlights of his Super Bowl performance in early 2025.

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

"The artists' seven-track rap battle was a 'verbal conflict' that was the focus of extensive press coverage and online discourse," the judge wrote.

"Although the claim that plaintiff is a pedophile is certainly a serious one, the broader context of a heated rap battle, with provocative remarks and insulting claims hurled by both participants, would not lead the reasonable listener to believe that 'Not Like Us' conveys verifiable facts about the claimant."

She additionally observed that, in an previous track, Drake had "challenged Lamar to make the pedophile claims" that featured in Not Like Us.

On the song Taylor Made Freestyle, the rapper used the synthetic vocals of Tupac Shakur to give Lamar advice on how to win the rap battle.

"Suggest he has a preference for minors, consider that a tip," the song suggested.

"Against this backdrop in which such lines as 'Hey Drake, I’ve heard you prefer them young' must be assessed," wrote the court.

"The similarity in the wording strongly indicates that this line is a direct callback to Drake's lyrics in the earlier release."

'A Slap in the Face to Creatives'

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

His lawyers 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 criminal paedophile, and to suggest that the audience should turn to extra-legal action in response".

Deciding against the plaintiff, Judge Vargas said fans would not expect "truthful accounts" from a diss track "replete with vulgar language, insults, threats of violence, and exaggerated statements."

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

Regarding Lamar's song, Judge Vargas said: "Even seemingly factual claims may take on the nature of subjective views... when made in public debate, intense arguments, or similar situations in which an listener may expect the use of epithets, fiery rhetoric or hyperbole."

Responding to the dismissal, a UMG representative said: "From the beginning, this lawsuit was an affront to every creative and their artistic freedom and never should have been filed."

"We're pleased with the court's dismissal and look forward to continuing our partnership successfully marketing Drake's music and supporting his artistic path," the representative continued.

A spokesperson for Drake said the artist planned to contest the ruling, "and we await the appellate court examining it".

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