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A court official has thrown out the rapper Drake’s legal claim targeting the music corporation concerning Kendrick Lamar's track the diss record.

Judge the court’s judge ruled that the rapper’s song lyrics, which accused the artist and his crew of being "pedophiles", were "nonactionable opinion" and could not be considered defamatory.

The Canadian rapper submitted the legal action in January, accusing Universal Music Group, the record label representing the two rappers, of defamatory conduct by permitting the song to be released and promoted, saying it disseminated a "untrue and harmful story".

The artist’s representative said he planned to challenge the decision. UMG said it was satisfied with the outcome and was looking forward 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 final strike in an continuing feud between the rival rappers.

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

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

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

"While the claim that Drake is a child predator is undoubtedly a grave allegation, the wider backdrop of a heated rap battle, with incendiary language and insulting claims hurled by both participants, would not incline the reasonable listener to believe that 'Not Like Us' conveys truthful statements about the claimant."

She additionally observed that, in an previous track, the artist had "challenged his rival to make the paedophilia accusations" that featured in Not Like Us.

On the track Taylor Made Freestyle, Drake used the AI-generated voice of Tupac Shakur to suggest strategies on how to prevail in the feud.

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

"Against this backdrop in which such lyrics as 'Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young' must be evaluated," wrote the court.

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

'A Slap in the Face to Creatives'

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

His legal team accused the label of launching "an effort to create a viral hit" out of a track that made the "untrue claim that Drake is a convicted predator, and to imply that the audience should turn to extra-legal action in response".

Ruling against Drake, Judge Vargas said listeners would not expect "truthful accounts" from a musical attack "replete with profanity, insults, threats of violence, and figurative and hyperbolic language."

She highlighted that Drake himself had used similar language, quoting a line in which the star "strongly" suggested that "his opponent is a spouse beater", and another where Drake "claims that he 'was told' that one of Lamar's sons may not be his biological offspring."

Regarding the track in question, Judge Vargas said: "Even apparent statements of fact may take on the nature of statements of opinion... when made in open discourse, intense arguments, or other circumstances in which an audience may expect the use of slurs, fiery rhetoric or exaggeration."

Reacting to the dismissal, a label representative said: "From the beginning, this case was an insult to every creative and their artistic freedom and never should have seen the light of day."

"We're pleased with the court's dismissal and look forward to resuming our work effectively promoting Drake's music and supporting his artistic path," the spokesperson added.

A representative for the musician said the artist intended to appeal the ruling, "and we await the Court of Appeals reviewing it".

Lamar has yet to comment on the legal matter.