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A judge has thrown out the rapper Drake’s defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group concerning Kendrick Lamar’s song the diss record.

Judge the court’s judge ruled that the rapper’s lyrics, which claimed Drake and his associates of being "pedophiles", were "protected opinion" and could not be considered libelous.

Drake submitted the lawsuit in early this year, accusing UMG, the music company behind both artists, of defamatory conduct by allowing the song to be released and marketed, saying it spread a "untrue and harmful story".

The artist’s representative stated he intended to challenge the ruling. UMG expressed it was pleased with the result and was looking forward to resuming its collaboration with the musician.

Background of the Rap Battle

The diss song, which was first dropped in spring 2024, was broadly viewed as the decisive blow in an ongoing battle between the competing artists.

It has emerged as the biggest hit of the rapper’s musical journey, having won five Grammys and being one of the most-talked about highlights of his Super Bowl performance in early 2025.

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

"Both rappers’ seven-track rap battle was a 'verbal conflict' that was the focus of substantial media scrutiny and online discourse," the judge wrote.

"While the claim that plaintiff is a child predator is certainly a grave allegation, the wider backdrop of a intense musical rivalry, with incendiary language and offensive accusations exchanged by each artist, would not lead the average audience to believe that 'Not Like Us' imparts verifiable facts about plaintiff."

She additionally observed that, in an previous track, the artist had "challenged his rival to make the pedophile claims" that appeared in the diss record.

On the track Taylor Made Freestyle, Drake used the synthetic vocals of Tupac Shakur to give Lamar advice on how to win the rap battle.

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

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

"The parallel in the wording suggests strongly that this lyric is a clear reference 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 lawyers alleged UMG of initiating "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 imply that the public should turn to vigilante justice in retaliation".

Deciding against the plaintiff, Judge Vargas said fans would not expect "truthful accounts" from a diss track "replete with profanity, insults, threats of violence, and exaggerated statements."

She pointed out that Drake himself had used similar language, quoting a line in which the star "strongly" implied that "his opponent is a spouse beater", and a separate instance where Drake "claims that he 'heard' that one of Lamar's children may not be biologically his."

Regarding the track in question, the court said: "Even seemingly factual claims may take on the nature of subjective views... when made in open discourse, heated labour dispute, or similar situations in which an audience may anticipate the use of epithets, fiery rhetoric or hyperbole."

Responding to the rejection, a UMG representative said: "From the outset, this lawsuit was an affront to every creative and their artistic freedom and never should have been filed."

"We are satisfied with the judge’s ruling and look forward to continuing our partnership effectively promoting Drake's music and investing in his artistic path," the spokesperson continued.

A representative for Drake said the rapper planned to appeal the ruling, "and we look forward to the Court of Appeals reviewing it".

Kendrick Lamar has yet to issue a statement on the legal matter.