🔗 Share this article

A court official has dismissed Drake's defamation lawsuit against the music corporation over Kendrick Lamar's track the diss record.

Presiding Judge the court’s judge decided that the rapper’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 early this year, accusing UMG, the music company behind both artists, of defamatory conduct by allowing the track to be released and promoted, saying it disseminated a "untrue and harmful story".

The artist’s representative said he intended to appeal the ruling. UMG said it was satisfied with the outcome and was eager to resuming its work with the rapper.

Background of the Rap Battle

Not Like Us, which was initially released in spring 2024, was broadly viewed as the decisive blow in an continuing feud between the competing artists.

It has become the biggest hit of the rapper’s musical journey, having won five Grammys and being one of the most-talked about highlights of his Super Bowl performance in early 2025.

In a 38-page order, Judge Vargas called the row between the rappers "the most infamous rap battle in the genre's history".

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

"Although the claim that Drake is a pedophile 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 lead the average audience to believe that 'the track' imparts verifiable facts about plaintiff."

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

On the track his own release, the rapper used the AI-generated voice of the late rapper to give Lamar advice on how to win the rap battle.

"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 'Hey Drake, I’ve heard you prefer them young' must be assessed," stated the court.

"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 real name is Aubrey Drake Graham, did not name Lamar in the legal filing.

His legal team alleged UMG of initiating "an effort to generate a viral hit" out of a track that made the "false factual allegation that the artist is a criminal paedophile, and to suggest that the audience should turn to extra-legal action in retaliation".

Ruling against the plaintiff, the judge said fans would not expect "accurate factual reporting" from a musical attack "replete with vulgar language, trash-talking, threats of violence, and figurative and hyperbolic language."

She highlighted that Drake himself had used comparable rhetoric, quoting a line in which the artist "strongly" suggested that "Lamar is a spouse beater", and another where Drake "raps that he 'heard' that one of Lamar's children may not be biologically his."

Concerning the track in question, the court said: "Although seemingly factual claims may take on the nature of statements of opinion... when made in public debate, heated labour dispute, or similar situations in which an audience may anticipate the use of epithets, passionate language or hyperbole."

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 been filed."

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

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

Kendrick Lamar has not yet comment on the case.