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

Judge the court’s judge determined that Lamar's lyrics, which claimed the artist and his associates of being "pedophiles", were "nonactionable opinion" and cannot be considered libelous.

Drake filed the legal action in January, accusing UMG, the record label behind the two rappers, of defamatory conduct by allowing the song to be published and promoted, stating it spread a "untrue and harmful story".

Drake's representative said he intended to appeal the decision. UMG said it was satisfied with the outcome and was eager to resuming its collaboration with the musician.

Context of the Rap Battle

Not Like Us, which was initially released in May 2024, was widely seen as the final strike in an ongoing battle between the competing artists.

It has emerged as the most successful track of the rapper’s musical journey, having received five Grammys and being one of the most-discussed highlights of his Super Bowl half-time show in February.

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

"The artists' seven-track rap battle was a 'verbal conflict' that was the subject of extensive press coverage and online discourse," the judge wrote.

"Although the accusation that plaintiff is a child predator is certainly a serious one, the broader context of a intense musical rivalry, with provocative remarks and insulting claims exchanged by each artist, would not incline the average audience to believe that 'the track' conveys verifiable facts about the claimant."

She additionally observed that, in an previous track, the artist had "dared his rival to make the pedophile claims" that featured in the diss record.

On the track Taylor Made Freestyle, Drake used the synthetic vocals of Tupac Shakur to suggest strategies on how to win the rap battle.

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

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

"The parallel in the phrasing strongly indicates that this line is a direct callback to Drake's lyrics in the earlier release."

'A Slap in the Face to Creatives'

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

His lawyers alleged the label of launching "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".

Deciding against Drake, Judge Vargas said fans would not expect "accurate factual reporting" from a diss track "replete with profanity, trash-talking, threats of violence, and figurative and hyperbolic language."

She pointed out that Drake himself had engaged in comparable rhetoric, referencing a lyric in which the star "strongly" implied that "his opponent is a domestic abuser", and another where Drake "raps that he 'was told' that one of his rival’s sons may not be biologically his."

Concerning the track in question, Judge Vargas said: "Even apparent statements of fact may assume the character of statements of opinion... when made in open discourse, intense arguments, or similar situations in which an audience may expect the use of slurs, fiery rhetoric or hyperbole."

Reacting to the dismissal, a label spokesperson said: "From the outset, this lawsuit was an insult to every creative and their artistic freedom and should not have seen the light of day."

"We're pleased with the judge’s ruling and are eager to resuming our partnership successfully promoting the artist’s work and investing in his career," the spokesperson continued.

A representative for Drake said the rapper planned to contest the ruling, "and we look forward to the appellate court examining it".

Kendrick Lamar has not yet comment on the case.