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A court official has dismissed Drake's legal claim targeting Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar's track Not Like Us.

Presiding Judge Jeannette Vargas ruled that Lamar's lyrics, which accused the artist and his crew of being "pedophiles", were "protected opinion" and could not be deemed defamatory.

Drake filed the lawsuit in January, accusing Universal Music Group, the record label behind both artists, of defamatory conduct by allowing the track to be released and promoted, saying it spread a "untrue and harmful story".

Drake's spokesperson said he planned to appeal the decision. Universal Music Group said it was satisfied with the result and was looking forward to resuming its collaboration with the musician.

Background of the Hip-Hop Feud

The diss song, which was initially released in May 2024, was broadly viewed as the final strike in an ongoing battle between the competing artists.

It has emerged as the biggest hit of the rapper’s career, having won five Grammys and being one of the most-discussed moments of his Super Bowl performance in early 2025.

In a 38-page order, the judge called the row between the rappers "the most notorious hip-hop feud in the genre's history".

"The artists' series of diss tracks was a 'verbal conflict' that was the subject of substantial media scrutiny and digital debate," the judge wrote.

"Although the claim that Drake is a child predator is certainly 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 average audience to believe that 'Not Like Us' imparts truthful statements about the claimant."

She additionally observed that, in an previous track, Drake had "challenged Lamar to make the paedophilia accusations" that appeared in the diss record.

On the song Taylor Made Freestyle, Drake used the AI-generated voice 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 proposed.

"It is in this context in which such lines as 'Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young' must be assessed," stated Judge Vargas.

"The similarity in the phrasing suggests strongly that this line is a clear reference to the artist’s own words in the prior song."

'A Slap in the Face to Creatives'

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

His legal team alleged the label of launching "a campaign to create a popular song" out of a release that made the "false factual allegation that the artist is a convicted predator, and to imply that the audience should turn to vigilante justice in retaliation".

Ruling against Drake, Judge Vargas said listeners would not expect "accurate factual reporting" from a diss track "replete with vulgar language, insults, violent implications, and figurative and hyperbolic language."

She highlighted that Drake himself had used similar language, referencing a line in which the artist "strongly" suggested that "his opponent is a spouse beater", and a separate instance where Drake "raps that he 'heard' that one of his rival’s children may not be biologically his."

Regarding the track in question, the court said: "Although seemingly factual claims may assume the character of subjective views... when made in open discourse, intense arguments, or other circumstances in which an listener may expect the use of epithets, passionate language or hyperbole."

Responding to the rejection, a UMG representative said: "From the beginning, this case was an affront to all artists and their creative expression and should not have been filed."

"We are satisfied with the judge’s ruling and are eager to resuming our partnership successfully promoting Drake's music and investing in his career," the representative added.

A representative for the musician said the artist intended to appeal the ruling, "and we await the appellate court examining it".

Lamar has yet to comment on the case.