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A judge has rejected Drake's legal claim against Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar's song Not Like Us.

Judge Jeannette Vargas determined that Lamar's song lyrics, which claimed the artist and his associates of being "pedophiles", were "protected opinion" and could not be deemed defamatory.

Drake filed the lawsuit in January, claiming Universal Music Group, the record label behind the two rappers, of defamation by permitting the track to be published and marketed, stating it spread a "false and malicious narrative".

Drake's spokesperson said he planned to challenge the ruling. UMG expressed it was satisfied with the outcome and was eager to continuing its collaboration with the rapper.

Background of the Rap Battle

The diss song, which was first dropped in spring 2024, was widely seen as the final strike in an ongoing battle between the competing artists.

It has become the biggest hit of Lamar's musical journey, having received multiple Grammy awards and being one of the most-discussed moments of his Super Bowl performance in early 2025.

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

"Both rappers’ series of diss tracks was a 'verbal conflict' that was the focus of extensive press coverage and online discourse," the court noted.

"While the claim that plaintiff is a pedophile is undoubtedly a grave allegation, the wider backdrop of a heated rap battle, with incendiary language and insulting claims exchanged by both participants, would not lead the reasonable listener to believe that 'Not Like Us' conveys truthful statements about plaintiff."

She also noted that, in an earlier song, Drake had "dared Lamar to make the pedophile claims" that appeared in the diss record.

On the track his own release, the rapper used the AI-generated voice 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 track proposed.

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

"The similarity in the phrasing suggests strongly that this line is a direct callback to Drake's lyrics in the prior song."

'An Affront to Artists'

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

His lawyers accused UMG of initiating "an effort to create a popular song" out of a release that made the "untrue claim that the artist is a convicted predator, and to imply that the public should resort to vigilante justice in retaliation".

Ruling against the plaintiff, Judge Vargas said fans would not expect "accurate factual reporting" from a diss track "filled with vulgar language, insults, violent implications, and exaggerated statements."

She pointed out that the rapper himself had engaged in similar language, quoting a lyric in which the star "heavily" implied that "Lamar is a domestic abuser", and another where Drake "raps that he 'heard' that one of his rival’s sons may not be his biological offspring."

Regarding the track in question, the court said: "Although apparent statements of fact may assume the character of statements of opinion... when made in open discourse, heated labour dispute, or other circumstances in which an audience may anticipate the use of epithets, passionate language or hyperbole."

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 been filed."

"We're pleased with the court's dismissal and look forward to resuming our partnership effectively marketing the artist’s work and investing in his career," the spokesperson added.

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

Lamar has not yet comment on the legal matter.