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A judge has thrown out the rapper Drake’s legal claim against the music corporation over Kendrick Lamar's track Not Like Us.

Presiding Judge Jeannette Vargas ruled that the rapper’s lyrics, which claimed Drake and his crew of being "certified paedophiles", were "nonactionable opinion" and cannot be considered defamatory.

The Canadian rapper filed the lawsuit in January, claiming Universal Music Group, the music company representing the two rappers, of defamation by permitting the song to be released and marketed, stating it disseminated a "untrue and harmful story".

The artist’s spokesperson said he planned to appeal the ruling. UMG said it was pleased with the result and was looking forward to resuming its collaboration with the musician.

Context of the Hip-Hop Feud

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

It has become the most successful track of Lamar's career, having won five Grammys and being one of the most-talked about moments of his Super Bowl half-time show in February.

In a detailed ruling, Judge Vargas called the dispute between the rappers "the most notorious hip-hop feud in the genre's history".

"The artists' series of diss tracks was a 'verbal conflict' that was the focus of substantial media scrutiny and digital debate," the judge wrote.

"While the claim that Drake is a pedophile is undoubtedly a grave allegation, the wider backdrop of a heated rap battle, with incendiary language and insulting claims exchanged by each artist, would not lead the reasonable listener to believe that 'the track' conveys truthful statements about plaintiff."

She additionally observed that, in an earlier song, Drake had "challenged Lamar to make the paedophilia accusations" that appeared in Not Like Us.

On the song Taylor Made Freestyle, the rapper used the AI-generated voice of Tupac Shakur to suggest strategies on how to prevail in the feud.

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

"Against this backdrop in which such lines as 'Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young' must be evaluated," wrote the court.

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

'An Affront to Artists'

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

His legal team alleged the label of launching "a campaign to create a viral hit" out of a release that made the "false factual allegation that Drake is a convicted predator, and to suggest that the public should turn to extra-legal action in response".

Ruling against the plaintiff, Judge Vargas said listeners would not expect "accurate factual reporting" from a diss track "replete with profanity, trash-talking, violent implications, and exaggerated statements."

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

Concerning the track in question, the court said: "Even seemingly factual claims may assume the character of subjective views... when made in open discourse, intense arguments, or other circumstances in which an audience may expect the use of slurs, passionate language or hyperbole."

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

"We are satisfied with the judge’s ruling and are eager to continuing our work successfully marketing the artist’s work and investing in his artistic path," the spokesperson continued.

A spokesperson for the musician said the rapper planned to appeal the decision, "and we await the Court of Appeals examining it".

Lamar has not yet comment on the legal matter.