🔗 Share this article

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

Judge Jeannette Vargas decided that Lamar's lyrics, which accused Drake and his associates of being "certified paedophiles", were "nonactionable opinion" and could not be considered defamatory.

Drake filed the lawsuit in January, accusing Universal Music Group, the record label representing the two rappers, of defamatory conduct by allowing the track to be published and marketed, saying it disseminated a "false and malicious narrative".

Drake's spokesperson stated he planned to appeal the decision. Universal Music Group said it was pleased with the result and was eager to resuming its collaboration with the rapper.

Context of the Hip-Hop Feud

The diss song, which was initially released in May 2024, was broadly viewed 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 five Grammys and being one of the most-talked about highlights of his Super Bowl performance in early 2025.

In a detailed ruling, the judge called the row between the artists "the most notorious hip-hop feud in the history of rap music".

"The artists' series of diss tracks was a 'verbal conflict' that was the focus of extensive press coverage and digital debate," the court noted.

"While the claim that Drake is a pedophile is undoubtedly a serious one, the broader context of a heated rap battle, with incendiary language and offensive accusations exchanged by both participants, would not incline the average audience to believe that 'Not Like Us' conveys truthful statements about the claimant."

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

On the track his own release, Drake used the synthetic vocals of the late rapper to give Lamar advice on how to prevail in the feud.

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

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

"The similarity in the phrasing suggests strongly that this line is a clear reference to the artist’s own words in the prior song."

'A Slap in the Face to Creatives'

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

His lawyers alleged UMG of launching "a campaign to create a popular song" out of a release that made the "false factual allegation that the artist is a criminal paedophile, and to suggest that the public should turn to vigilante justice in retaliation".

Deciding against the plaintiff, Judge Vargas said fans would not expect "accurate factual reporting" from a musical attack "replete with vulgar language, insults, violent implications, and figurative and hyperbolic language."

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

Concerning the track in question, Judge Vargas said: "Even 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 anticipate the use of slurs, fiery rhetoric or exaggeration."

Reacting to the dismissal, a UMG spokesperson said: "From the outset, this lawsuit was an insult to all artists and their creative expression and should not have been filed."

"We are satisfied with the judge’s ruling and are eager to resuming our work effectively promoting the artist’s work and investing in his career," the representative added.

A spokesperson for Drake said the rapper intended to appeal the ruling, "and we await the Court of Appeals examining it".

Kendrick Lamar has yet to comment on the legal matter.