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

Presiding Judge Jeannette Vargas determined that the rapper’s song lyrics, which claimed Drake and his crew of being "pedophiles", were "nonactionable opinion" and could not be considered libelous.

Drake submitted the lawsuit in early this year, claiming UMG, the music company representing the two rappers, of defamation by permitting the track to be released and marketed, stating it spread a "false and malicious narrative".

Drake's representative said he planned to challenge the decision. UMG said it was pleased with the result and was eager to continuing its collaboration with the musician.

Background of the Hip-Hop Feud

Not Like Us, which was initially released in May 2024, was broadly viewed as the decisive blow in an ongoing battle between the rival rappers.

It has become the biggest hit of Lamar's career, having received five Grammys and being one of the most-talked about moments of his Super Bowl performance in early 2025.

In a detailed ruling, the judge called the row between the rappers "the most notorious hip-hop feud in the history of rap music".

"Both rappers’ seven-track rap battle was a 'war of words' that was the focus of extensive press coverage and online discourse," the court noted.

"While the accusation that Drake is a pedophile is undoubtedly a serious one, the broader context of a intense musical rivalry, with provocative remarks and insulting claims exchanged by both participants, would not lead the reasonable listener to believe that 'the track' conveys verifiable facts about plaintiff."

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

On the track his own release, Drake used the AI-generated voice of the late rapper to give Lamar advice on how to prevail in the feud.

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

"It is in this context in which such lines as 'Hey Drake, I’ve heard you prefer them young' must be evaluated," stated Judge Vargas.

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

'An Affront to Artists'

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

His lawyers accused UMG of initiating "an effort to create a viral hit" out of a track that made the "untrue claim that the artist is a convicted predator, and to suggest that the audience should resort to extra-legal action in retaliation".

Ruling against Drake, Judge Vargas said listeners would not expect "accurate factual reporting" from a musical attack "filled with profanity, insults, threats of violence, and exaggerated statements."

She pointed out that the rapper himself had used comparable rhetoric, referencing a lyric in which the artist "heavily" implied that "Lamar is a spouse beater", and another where he "raps that he 'was told' that one of his rival’s sons may not be biologically his."

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

Reacting to the rejection, a label representative said: "From the outset, this case was an insult to every creative and their creative expression and should not have seen the light of day."

"We are satisfied with the judge’s ruling and are eager to resuming our partnership effectively marketing the artist’s work and supporting his career," the spokesperson added.

A representative for Drake said the artist planned to appeal the ruling, "and we await the appellate court reviewing it".

Kendrick Lamar has yet to comment on the legal matter.