🔗 Share this article

A court official has dismissed Drake's defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group concerning Kendrick Lamar's track Not Like Us.

Presiding Judge the court’s judge determined that Lamar's lyrics, which claimed the artist and his associates of being "pedophiles", were "protected opinion" and could not be considered defamatory.

Drake submitted the legal action in early this year, claiming Universal Music Group, the record label behind both artists, of defamatory conduct by permitting the song to be published and marketed, saying it disseminated a "false and malicious narrative".

The artist’s spokesperson said he planned to appeal the ruling. UMG said it was pleased with the outcome and was looking forward to continuing its collaboration with the rapper.

Background of the Rap Battle

The diss song, which was initially released in spring 2024, was widely seen as the decisive blow in an ongoing battle between the rival rappers.

It has emerged as the most successful track of the rapper’s musical journey, having won multiple Grammy awards and being one of the most-talked about moments of his Super Bowl performance in early 2025.

In a detailed ruling, Judge Vargas called the row between the rappers "the most notorious hip-hop feud in the genre's history".

"The artists' seven-track rap battle was a 'war of words' that was the focus of substantial media scrutiny and digital debate," the court wrote.

"Although the accusation that Drake is a pedophile is certainly a grave allegation, the wider backdrop of a intense musical rivalry, with provocative remarks and offensive accusations exchanged by both participants, would not lead the average audience to believe that 'Not Like Us' imparts verifiable facts about the claimant."

She also noted that, in an previous track, Drake had "dared his rival to make the pedophile claims" that appeared in Not Like Us.

On the song his own release, Drake 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 song suggested.

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

"The parallel in the wording suggests strongly that this lyric is a clear reference to the artist’s own words in the prior song."

'A Slap in the Face to Creatives'

Drake, whose real name is Aubrey Graham, did not name Lamar in the lawsuit.

His lawyers accused the label of initiating "an effort to create a popular song" out of a release that made the "false factual allegation that Drake is a convicted predator, and to suggest that the public should resort to extra-legal action in response".

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

She highlighted that the rapper himself had used comparable rhetoric, quoting a line in which the star "heavily" suggested that "Lamar is a spouse beater", and a separate instance where he "raps that he 'heard' that one of Lamar's children may not be his biological offspring."

Concerning Lamar's song, the court said: "Although apparent statements of fact may assume the character of subjective views... when made in open discourse, intense arguments, or similar situations in which an listener may anticipate the use of slurs, passionate language or exaggeration."

Responding to the dismissal, a label spokesperson said: "From the beginning, this lawsuit was an affront to all artists 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 effectively promoting the artist’s work and supporting his career," the spokesperson continued.

A representative for Drake said the artist planned to contest the ruling, "and we await the Court of Appeals examining it".

Kendrick Lamar has yet to comment on the legal matter.