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A court official has rejected Drake's legal claim against the music corporation over Kendrick Lamar's track Not Like Us.

Judge Jeannette Vargas decided that the rapper’s lyrics, which accused Drake and his associates of being "pedophiles", were "protected opinion" and cannot be considered defamatory.

Drake filed the legal action in January, accusing Universal Music Group, the music company representing the two rappers, of defamation by permitting the song to be released and marketed, stating it disseminated a "untrue and harmful story".

The artist’s spokesperson said he planned to appeal the decision. Universal Music Group said it was satisfied with the result and was looking forward to continuing its collaboration with the rapper.

Background of the Rap Battle

Not Like Us, which was first dropped in May 2024, was widely seen as the decisive blow in an ongoing battle between the competing artists.

It has become the most successful track of the rapper’s musical journey, having won multiple Grammy awards and being one of the most-talked about highlights of his Super Bowl half-time show in February.

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

"Both rappers’ seven-track rap battle was a 'war of words' that was the subject of substantial media scrutiny and digital debate," the court noted.

"Although the accusation that Drake is a child predator is undoubtedly a serious one, the broader context of a intense musical rivalry, with incendiary language and offensive accusations exchanged by each artist, would not lead the reasonable listener to believe that 'Not Like Us' conveys verifiable facts about plaintiff."

She also noted that, in an previous track, Drake had "challenged his rival to make the paedophilia accusations" that appeared in the diss record.

On the song his own release, the rapper used the synthetic vocals of Tupac Shakur 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 proposed.

"It is in this context in which such lines as 'Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young' must be assessed," stated Judge Vargas.

"The parallel in the phrasing suggests strongly that this line is a direct callback to the artist’s own words in the prior song."

'A Slap in the Face to Creatives'

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

His legal team accused UMG of initiating "a campaign to generate a popular song" out of a track that made the "false factual allegation that Drake is a convicted predator, and to imply that the audience should resort to extra-legal action in response".

Ruling against Drake, the judge said fans would not expect "truthful accounts" from a musical attack "replete with vulgar language, insults, threats of violence, and figurative and hyperbolic language."

She pointed out that the rapper himself had engaged in comparable rhetoric, quoting a lyric in which the star "heavily" suggested that "Lamar is a spouse beater", and a separate instance where he "claims that he 'was told' that one of his rival’s sons may not be biologically his."

Regarding Lamar's song, the court said: "Even seemingly factual claims may take on the nature of statements of opinion... when made in open discourse, intense arguments, or other circumstances in which an audience may anticipate the use of epithets, fiery rhetoric or exaggeration."

Reacting to the dismissal, a label representative said: "From the beginning, this lawsuit was an insult to all artists and their creative expression and never should have seen the light of day."

"We're pleased with the judge’s ruling and look forward to resuming our work effectively marketing Drake's music and investing in his artistic path," the spokesperson added.

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

Kendrick Lamar has not yet comment on the case.