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

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

Drake submitted the legal action in early this year, accusing Universal Music Group, the record label behind both artists, of defamation by permitting the track to be published and promoted, saying it disseminated a "untrue and harmful story".

The artist’s representative said he planned to appeal the decision. Universal Music Group expressed it was satisfied with the result and was looking forward to resuming its collaboration with the musician.

Background of the Hip-Hop Feud

Not Like Us, which was first dropped in spring 2024, was broadly viewed 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 multiple Grammy awards and being one of the most-discussed moments of his Super Bowl performance in February.

In a 38-page order, the judge called the row between the artists "the most notorious hip-hop feud in the genre's history".

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

"While the accusation that Drake is a pedophile is undoubtedly a serious one, the wider backdrop of a heated rap battle, with incendiary language and offensive accusations exchanged by each artist, would not lead the average audience to believe that 'the track' conveys verifiable facts about the claimant."

She additionally observed that, in an earlier song, the artist had "challenged his rival to make the paedophilia accusations" that featured in the diss record.

On the track his own release, the rapper used the AI-generated voice of the late rapper to give Lamar advice on how to prevail in the feud.

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

"It is in this context in which such lines as 'Hey Drake, I’ve heard you prefer them young' must be evaluated," stated the court.

"The similarity in the phrasing suggests strongly that this lyric is a clear reference to the artist’s own words in the earlier release."

'A Slap in the Face to Creatives'

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

His legal team accused the label of launching "an effort to generate a viral hit" out of a release that made the "false factual allegation that Drake is a convicted predator, and to suggest that the audience should turn to extra-legal action in retaliation".

Ruling against the plaintiff, the judge 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 used similar language, quoting a line in which the artist "heavily" suggested that "his opponent is a spouse beater", and another where Drake "claims that he 'was told' that one of Lamar's sons may not be his biological offspring."

Regarding Lamar's song, Judge Vargas said: "Although apparent statements of fact may take on the nature of subjective views... when made in public debate, heated labour dispute, or other circumstances in which an audience may expect the use of epithets, passionate language or exaggeration."

Reacting to the dismissal, a UMG representative said: "From the beginning, this case was an insult to every creative and their creative expression and never should have been filed."

"We're pleased with the court's dismissal and are eager to resuming our partnership effectively marketing Drake's music and investing in his artistic path," the spokesperson continued.

A spokesperson for Drake said the rapper planned to appeal the decision, "and we await the appellate court examining it".

Lamar has not yet comment on the case.