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A judge has rejected the rapper Drake’s defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group concerning Kendrick Lamar's track the diss record.

Judge Jeannette Vargas decided that the rapper’s song lyrics, which claimed Drake and his associates of being "pedophiles", were "nonactionable opinion" and cannot be deemed libelous.

Drake submitted the lawsuit in early this year, claiming Universal Music Group, the music company behind both artists, of defamation by permitting the track to be released and promoted, saying it spread a "false and malicious narrative".

Drake's spokesperson said he planned to appeal the decision. UMG said it was pleased with the result and was eager to continuing its work with the musician.

Context of the Rap Battle

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

It has become the most successful track of Lamar's musical journey, having received five Grammys and being one of the most-talked about highlights of his Super Bowl half-time show in early 2025.

In a 38-page order, Judge Vargas called the dispute between the rappers "the most infamous rap battle in the history of rap music".

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

"While the accusation that Drake is a pedophile is undoubtedly a serious one, the broader context of a heated rap battle, with provocative remarks and insulting claims exchanged by both participants, would not lead the reasonable listener to believe that 'the track' conveys truthful statements about plaintiff."

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

On the song Taylor Made Freestyle, the rapper used the synthetic vocals of Tupac Shakur to give Lamar advice on how to prevail in the feud.

"Talk about him likin' young girls, that's a gift from me," the song suggested.

"It is in this context in which such lyrics as 'Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young' must be evaluated," wrote the court.

"The similarity in the wording suggests strongly that this line 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 Lamar in the lawsuit.

His lawyers accused UMG of launching "an effort to generate a viral hit" out of a track that made the "untrue claim that the artist is a convicted predator, and to imply that the audience should resort to vigilante justice in retaliation".

Deciding against Drake, Judge Vargas said listeners would not expect "truthful accounts" from a diss track "filled with profanity, insults, threats of violence, and exaggerated statements."

She pointed out that Drake himself had used comparable rhetoric, quoting a line in which the artist "strongly" suggested that "Lamar is a spouse beater", and a separate instance where he "claims that he 'heard' that one of Lamar's sons may not be his biological offspring."

Concerning the track in question, 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 audience may expect the use of slurs, passionate language or hyperbole."

Reacting to the rejection, a label spokesperson said: "From the beginning, this case was an affront to all artists and their artistic freedom and should not have seen the light of day."

"We are satisfied with the judge’s ruling and are eager to continuing our work effectively promoting Drake's music and supporting his artistic path," the spokesperson added.

A spokesperson for the musician said the artist planned to contest the ruling, "and we look forward to the Court of Appeals reviewing it".

Kendrick Lamar has yet to issue a statement on the legal matter.