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A court official has thrown out the rapper Drake’s defamation lawsuit targeting the music corporation concerning Kendrick Lamar’s track Not Like Us.

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

The Canadian rapper filed the lawsuit in January, claiming UMG, the record label behind both artists, of defamation by permitting the song to be published and marketed, stating it disseminated a "untrue and harmful story".

Drake's representative stated he planned to challenge the decision. UMG expressed it was satisfied with the outcome and was looking forward to resuming its work with the rapper.

Context of the Rap Battle

Not Like Us, which was first dropped in May 2024, was broadly viewed as the decisive blow in an continuing feud between the competing artists.

It has emerged as the biggest hit of the rapper’s career, having won multiple Grammy awards and being one of the most-discussed highlights of his Super Bowl performance in February.

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

"Both rappers’ series of diss tracks was a 'war of words' that was the subject of substantial media scrutiny and digital debate," the court wrote.

"While the claim that Drake is a child predator is undoubtedly a grave allegation, the broader context of a intense musical rivalry, with incendiary language and offensive accusations hurled by both participants, would not incline the average audience to believe that 'Not Like Us' imparts truthful statements about the claimant."

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

On the track Taylor Made Freestyle, Drake used the synthetic vocals of the late rapper to suggest strategies on how to prevail in the feud.

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

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

"The parallel in the wording strongly indicates that this lyric is a clear reference to the artist’s own words in the earlier release."

'A Slap in the Face to Creatives'

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

His lawyers accused UMG of initiating "a campaign to generate a popular song" out of a release that made the "untrue claim that the artist is a convicted predator, and to suggest that the audience should resort to vigilante justice in retaliation".

Ruling against Drake, Judge Vargas said fans would not expect "accurate factual reporting" from a diss track "filled with profanity, insults, threats of violence, and figurative and hyperbolic language."

She pointed out that Drake himself had engaged in similar language, quoting a line in which the artist "heavily" implied that "his opponent is a spouse beater", and another where he "claims that he 'was told' that one of Lamar's children may not be biologically his."

Concerning Lamar's song, Judge Vargas said: "Even seemingly factual claims 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 hyperbole."

Reacting to the rejection, a label spokesperson said: "From the outset, this lawsuit was an affront to every creative and their creative expression and never should have seen the light of day."

"We're pleased with the judge’s ruling and look forward to continuing our work effectively promoting the artist’s work and investing in his artistic path," the representative added.

A representative for Drake said the rapper planned to contest the ruling, "and we await the Court of Appeals examining it".

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