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

Presiding Judge Jeannette Vargas decided that Lamar's lyrics, which accused the artist and his crew of being "certified paedophiles", were "nonactionable opinion" and cannot be deemed libelous.

The Canadian rapper submitted the legal action in January, claiming UMG, the record label behind the two rappers, of defamatory conduct by allowing the song to be published and marketed, stating it disseminated a "untrue and harmful story".

Drake's representative said he intended to challenge the decision. UMG expressed it was satisfied with the result and was eager to resuming its collaboration with the rapper.

Context of the Rap Battle

Not Like Us, which was first dropped in May 2024, was broadly viewed as the final strike in an ongoing battle between the rival rappers.

It has become the biggest hit of the rapper’s career, having won five Grammys and being one of the most-talked about moments of his Super Bowl half-time show in early 2025.

In a detailed ruling, Judge Vargas called the dispute between the rappers "the most infamous rap battle in the history of rap music".

"The artists' seven-track rap battle was a 'war of words' that was the subject of substantial media scrutiny and online discourse," the judge wrote.

"While the claim that plaintiff is a child predator is certainly a serious one, the wider backdrop of a heated rap battle, with incendiary language and insulting claims exchanged by both participants, would not incline the average audience to believe that 'the track' conveys verifiable facts about plaintiff."

She also noted that, in an earlier song, Drake had "challenged Lamar to make the pedophile claims" that featured in the diss record.

On the song his own release, the rapper used the synthetic vocals of Tupac Shakur to suggest strategies on how to prevail in the feud.

"Suggest he has a preference for minors, consider that a tip," the track suggested.

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

"The similarity in the wording strongly indicates that this line is a direct callback to Drake's lyrics in the prior song."

'An Affront to Artists'

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

His legal team accused UMG of initiating "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 suggest that the public should turn to vigilante justice in response".

Ruling against the plaintiff, Judge Vargas said listeners would not expect "truthful accounts" from a diss track "replete with profanity, insults, violent implications, and figurative and hyperbolic language."

She highlighted that Drake himself had engaged in similar language, quoting a lyric in which the artist "strongly" suggested that "his opponent is a domestic abuser", and a separate instance where he "raps that he 'was told' that one of his rival’s children may not be his biological offspring."

Concerning Lamar's song, Judge Vargas said: "Even apparent statements of fact may take on the nature of statements of opinion... when made in open discourse, heated labour dispute, or similar situations in which an audience may anticipate the use of epithets, fiery rhetoric or hyperbole."

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

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

A spokesperson for Drake said the rapper planned to appeal the decision, "and we look forward to the Court of Appeals reviewing it".

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