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

Presiding Judge Jeannette Vargas ruled that the rapper’s lyrics, which claimed Drake and his associates of being "certified paedophiles", were "protected opinion" and cannot be considered defamatory.

The Canadian rapper submitted the lawsuit in January, claiming Universal Music Group, the music company representing both artists, of defamation by permitting the track to be released and marketed, stating it disseminated a "false and malicious narrative".

Drake's representative stated he intended to challenge the ruling. UMG said it was pleased with the outcome and was eager to resuming its work with the rapper.

Background of the Hip-Hop Feud

The diss song, which was initially released in spring 2024, was widely seen as the final strike in an continuing feud between the competing artists.

It has become 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 half-time show 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".

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

"Although the accusation that Drake is a pedophile is undoubtedly a grave allegation, the broader context of a heated rap battle, with provocative remarks and offensive accusations hurled by each artist, would not lead the reasonable listener to believe that 'Not Like Us' conveys verifiable facts about plaintiff."

She additionally observed that, in an earlier song, the artist had "dared his rival to make the paedophilia accusations" that appeared in the diss record.

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

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

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

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

'An Affront to Artists'

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

His legal team alleged the label of launching "an effort to create a viral hit" out of a track that made the "false factual allegation that the artist is a criminal paedophile, and to imply that the public should turn to extra-legal action in response".

Deciding against the plaintiff, the judge said fans would not expect "accurate factual reporting" from a diss track "filled with profanity, trash-talking, threats of violence, and exaggerated statements."

She pointed out that Drake himself had engaged in similar language, referencing a line in which the star "heavily" implied that "his opponent is a spouse beater", and another where Drake "claims that he 'heard' that one of Lamar's sons may not be his biological offspring."

Regarding the track in question, Judge Vargas said: "Although apparent statements of fact may take on the nature of statements of opinion... when made in open discourse, heated labour dispute, or other circumstances in which an listener may anticipate the use of epithets, passionate language or exaggeration."

Reacting to the rejection, a UMG spokesperson said: "From the beginning, this lawsuit was an affront to all artists and their creative expression and should not have seen the light of day."

"We're pleased with the judge’s ruling and are eager to resuming our partnership effectively promoting the artist’s work and supporting his career," the spokesperson added.

A spokesperson for Drake said the artist intended to contest the decision, "and we await the appellate court reviewing it".

Lamar has yet to issue a statement on the case.