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A judge has rejected the rapper Drake’s legal claim targeting Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar’s track the diss record.

Judge the court’s judge decided that the rapper’s song lyrics, which claimed the artist and his associates of being "pedophiles", were "nonactionable opinion" and could not be considered defamatory.

Drake filed the legal action in early this year, accusing UMG, the record label behind the two rappers, of defamation by permitting the track to be released and promoted, saying it disseminated a "false and malicious narrative".

The artist’s spokesperson stated he intended to appeal the decision. UMG expressed it was pleased with the result and was looking forward to continuing its work with the rapper.

Background of the Rap Battle

The diss song, which was first dropped in spring 2024, was broadly viewed as the final strike in an continuing feud between the rival rappers.

It has emerged as the biggest hit of the rapper’s career, having won multiple Grammy awards and being one of the most-talked about highlights of his Super Bowl performance in February.

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

"The artists' series of diss tracks was a 'war of words' that was the subject of extensive press coverage and digital debate," the judge wrote.

"Although the claim that Drake is a pedophile is certainly a serious one, the wider backdrop of a heated rap battle, with incendiary language and insulting claims hurled by each artist, would not lead the average audience to believe that 'Not Like Us' conveys verifiable facts about the claimant."

She also noted that, in an previous track, the artist had "challenged his rival to make the pedophile claims" that appeared in the diss record.

On the song his own release, the rapper used the AI-generated voice of the late rapper to suggest strategies on how to prevail in the feud.

"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 'Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young' must be evaluated," stated the court.

"The similarity in the phrasing strongly indicates that this lyric is a direct callback to the artist’s own words in the prior song."

'An Affront to Artists'

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

His legal team accused UMG of launching "a campaign to create a viral hit" out of a track that made the "false factual allegation that the artist is a convicted predator, and to imply that the public should resort to extra-legal action in response".

Deciding against Drake, Judge Vargas said fans would not expect "accurate factual reporting" from a musical attack "replete with profanity, insults, violent implications, and exaggerated statements."

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

Regarding Lamar's song, Judge Vargas said: "Although seemingly factual claims may take on the nature of subjective views... when made in public debate, heated labour dispute, or similar situations in which an audience may anticipate the use of slurs, passionate language or hyperbole."

Responding to the rejection, a label representative said: "From the beginning, this lawsuit was an affront to every creative and their artistic freedom and never should have been filed."

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

A spokesperson for Drake said the artist planned to contest the ruling, "and we look forward to the appellate court examining it".

Kendrick Lamar has not yet comment on the case.