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A judge has rejected Drake's defamation lawsuit targeting Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar’s track Not Like Us.

Presiding Judge the court’s judge determined that the rapper’s song lyrics, which claimed the artist and his associates of being "pedophiles", were "protected opinion" and could not be deemed libelous.

The Canadian rapper filed the lawsuit in January, accusing Universal Music Group, the music company behind the two rappers, of defamatory conduct by allowing the track to be released and promoted, stating it disseminated a "false and malicious narrative".

The artist’s representative said he planned to appeal the ruling. Universal Music Group said it was pleased with the outcome and was eager to resuming its work with the rapper.

Context of the Hip-Hop Feud

The diss song, which was first dropped in May 2024, was broadly viewed as the decisive blow in an ongoing battle between the competing artists.

It has emerged as the biggest hit of the rapper’s musical journey, having received five Grammys and being one of the most-talked about moments of his Super Bowl performance in February.

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

"Both rappers’ series of diss tracks was a 'verbal conflict' that was the subject of extensive press coverage and digital debate," the judge wrote.

"Although the accusation that Drake is a pedophile is certainly a grave allegation, the broader context of a intense musical rivalry, with incendiary language and insulting claims exchanged by both participants, would not incline the average audience to believe that 'Not Like Us' imparts verifiable facts about plaintiff."

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

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

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

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

"The similarity in the phrasing suggests strongly that this lyric is a direct callback to the artist’s own words in the earlier release."

'A Slap in the Face to Creatives'

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

His lawyers accused UMG of initiating "a campaign to generate a viral hit" out of a release that made the "false factual allegation that Drake is a convicted predator, and to suggest that the audience should turn to extra-legal action in retaliation".

Ruling against Drake, the judge said listeners would not expect "truthful accounts" from a musical attack "replete with vulgar language, trash-talking, violent implications, and exaggerated statements."

She highlighted that the rapper himself had used similar language, referencing a lyric in which the artist "strongly" suggested that "his opponent is a spouse beater", and a separate instance where Drake "raps that he 'was told' that one of Lamar's sons may not be biologically his."

Concerning the track in question, the court said: "Although apparent statements of fact may assume the character of statements of opinion... when made in open discourse, intense arguments, or other circumstances in which an audience may anticipate the use of epithets, passionate language or hyperbole."

Responding to the rejection, a UMG spokesperson said: "From the outset, this case was an insult to every creative and their creative expression and should not have seen the light of day."

"We're pleased with the court's dismissal and look forward to resuming our partnership effectively promoting the artist’s work and supporting his career," the representative added.

A spokesperson for the musician said the rapper planned to appeal the decision, "and we look forward to the appellate court examining it".

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