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

Presiding Judge Jeannette Vargas ruled that Lamar's song lyrics, which claimed Drake and his associates of being "certified paedophiles", were "protected opinion" and cannot be considered libelous.

The Canadian rapper filed the legal action in January, accusing UMG, the record label representing the two rappers, of defamatory conduct by allowing the track to be released and promoted, saying it disseminated a "false and malicious narrative".

Drake's representative said he intended to appeal the decision. Universal Music Group expressed it was satisfied with the result and was looking forward to continuing its work with the rapper.

Background of the Rap Battle

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

It has emerged as the biggest hit of Lamar's career, having won multiple Grammy awards and being one of the most-discussed moments of his Super Bowl performance in February.

In a 38-page order, Judge Vargas called the dispute 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.

"Although the accusation that Drake is a child predator is undoubtedly a grave allegation, the broader context of a heated rap battle, with incendiary language and insulting claims exchanged by each artist, would not lead the average audience to believe that 'Not Like Us' imparts truthful statements about plaintiff."

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

On the song Taylor Made Freestyle, 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.

"Against this backdrop in which such lines as 'Hey Drake, I’ve heard you prefer them young' must be evaluated," wrote Judge Vargas.

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

'An Affront to Artists'

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

His legal team accused UMG of launching "an effort to create a popular song" out of a release that made the "untrue claim that the artist is a criminal paedophile, and to suggest that the audience should turn to vigilante justice in retaliation".

Deciding against Drake, the judge said listeners would not expect "accurate factual reporting" from a diss track "filled with profanity, trash-talking, violent implications, and exaggerated statements."

She pointed out that Drake himself had used comparable rhetoric, quoting a line in which the star "heavily" implied that "Lamar is a spouse beater", and a separate instance where Drake "claims that he 'was told' that one of his rival’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 statements of opinion... when made in public debate, heated labour dispute, or similar situations in which an audience may expect the use of slurs, passionate language or exaggeration."

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

"We are satisfied with the court's dismissal and are eager to continuing our work successfully marketing Drake's music and supporting his career," the spokesperson added.

A representative for the musician said the artist planned to contest the ruling, "and we look forward to the appellate court reviewing it".

Lamar has yet to comment on the legal matter.