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A judge has rejected Drake's legal claim targeting the music corporation over Kendrick Lamar’s track Not Like Us.

Judge the court’s judge decided that Lamar's song lyrics, which claimed Drake and his associates of being "pedophiles", were "protected opinion" and cannot be considered defamatory.

Drake filed the legal action in early this year, claiming Universal Music Group, the music company representing both artists, of defamatory conduct by permitting the track to be released and promoted, stating it spread a "false and malicious narrative".

The artist’s spokesperson said he intended to appeal the decision. UMG said it was satisfied with the result and was looking forward to resuming its collaboration 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 ongoing battle between the rival rappers.

It has emerged as the biggest hit of the rapper’s career, having received five Grammys and being one of the most-discussed highlights of his Super Bowl performance in February.

In a detailed ruling, Judge Vargas called the row between the rappers "the most infamous rap battle in the history of rap music".

"The artists' seven-track rap battle was a 'war of words' that was the focus of extensive press coverage and digital debate," the court noted.

"Although the accusation that plaintiff is a child predator is undoubtedly a serious one, the broader context of a intense musical rivalry, with provocative remarks and insulting claims hurled by each artist, would not incline the reasonable listener to believe that 'the track' imparts truthful statements about the claimant."

She additionally observed that, in an earlier song, Drake had "challenged Lamar to make the pedophile claims" that featured in Not Like Us.

On the song Taylor Made Freestyle, Drake used the AI-generated voice of Tupac Shakur 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 lyrics as 'Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young' must be assessed," stated Judge Vargas.

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

'A Slap in the Face to Creatives'

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

His lawyers accused UMG of initiating "an effort to generate a popular song" out of a release that made the "untrue claim that the artist is a criminal paedophile, and to imply that the audience should resort to vigilante justice in response".

Ruling against the plaintiff, the judge said listeners would not expect "accurate factual reporting" from a musical attack "filled with profanity, insults, threats of violence, and figurative and hyperbolic language."

She highlighted that the rapper himself had used similar language, quoting a line in which the star "heavily" implied that "his opponent is a domestic abuser", and another where Drake "raps that he 'heard' that one of Lamar's sons may not be his biological offspring."

Concerning Lamar's song, the court 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 anticipate the use of slurs, passionate language or hyperbole."

Responding to the rejection, a UMG representative said: "From the outset, this lawsuit was an affront to all artists and their artistic freedom and should not have been filed."

"We're pleased with the judge’s ruling and look forward to resuming our partnership successfully promoting the artist’s work and investing in his career," the representative continued.

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

Lamar has not yet issue a statement on the case.