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A judge has dismissed Drake's legal claim against Universal Music Group concerning Kendrick Lamar's track Not Like Us.

Presiding Judge the court’s judge determined that Lamar's song lyrics, which claimed Drake and his associates of being "pedophiles", were "protected opinion" and could not be deemed defamatory.

The Canadian rapper filed the lawsuit in January, claiming Universal Music Group, the record label representing the two rappers, of defamation by allowing the song to be published and marketed, stating it disseminated a "false and malicious narrative".

Drake's representative said he planned to appeal the ruling. Universal Music Group said it was satisfied with the outcome and was looking forward to continuing its work with the musician.

Context of the Hip-Hop Feud

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

It has emerged as the most successful track 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 dispute between the artists "the most infamous rap battle in the history of rap music".

"Both rappers’ series of diss tracks was a 'war of words' that was the focus of extensive press coverage and digital debate," the judge wrote.

"While the accusation that Drake is a child predator is undoubtedly a grave allegation, the wider backdrop of a intense musical rivalry, with provocative remarks and offensive accusations hurled by each artist, would not incline the average audience to believe that 'the track' imparts truthful statements about the claimant."

She additionally observed that, in an previous track, Drake had "dared his rival to make the paedophilia accusations" that appeared in the diss record.

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

"Suggest he has a preference for minors, consider that a tip," the song proposed.

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

"The similarity in the phrasing suggests strongly that this lyric is a clear reference to Drake's lyrics in the earlier release."

'An Affront to Artists'

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

His lawyers accused the label of launching "an effort to generate a popular song" out of a track that made the "untrue claim that the artist is a convicted predator, and to imply that the audience should turn to extra-legal action in retaliation".

Ruling against Drake, Judge Vargas said listeners would not expect "truthful accounts" from a musical attack "filled with vulgar language, insults, violent implications, and figurative and hyperbolic language."

She highlighted that Drake himself had engaged in similar language, referencing a line in which the star "heavily" implied that "his opponent is a spouse beater", and a separate instance where he "claims that he 'heard' that one of his rival’s sons may not be his biological offspring."

Concerning Lamar's song, the court said: "Even seemingly factual claims may assume the character of subjective views... when made in open discourse, intense arguments, or similar situations in which an listener may expect the use of slurs, fiery rhetoric or hyperbole."

Responding to the dismissal, a UMG 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 work successfully marketing the artist’s work and investing in his artistic path," the spokesperson added.

A representative for the musician said the rapper planned to contest the ruling, "and we await the Court of Appeals reviewing it".

Kendrick Lamar has not yet comment on the legal matter.