Court Dismisses Drake's Lawsuit Over Kendrick Lamar's Diss Track

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

Presiding Judge the court’s judge decided that Lamar's lyrics, which accused Drake and his associates of being "pedophiles", were "nonactionable opinion" and cannot be considered libelous.

The Canadian rapper filed the lawsuit in January, claiming Universal Music Group, the music company behind both artists, of defamation by permitting the track to be released and marketed, stating it spread a "false and malicious narrative".

The artist’s spokesperson stated he intended to appeal the decision. Universal Music Group said it was satisfied with the result and was looking forward to continuing its work with the rapper.

Background of the Hip-Hop Feud

The diss song, which was first dropped in May 2024, was broadly viewed as the final strike in an ongoing battle between the rival rappers.

It has become the biggest hit of the rapper’s career, having received multiple Grammy awards and being one of the most-talked about moments of his Super Bowl half-time show in February.

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

"Both rappers’ series of diss tracks was a 'verbal conflict' that was the focus of extensive press coverage and online discourse," the court noted.

"Although the claim that plaintiff is a pedophile is undoubtedly a serious one, the wider backdrop of a heated rap battle, with incendiary language and offensive accusations hurled by each artist, would not incline the reasonable listener to believe that 'the track' conveys verifiable facts about plaintiff."

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

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

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

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

"The similarity in the wording strongly indicates that this lyric is a direct callback to the artist’s own words in the prior song."

'A Slap in the Face to Creatives'

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

His legal team accused the label 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 suggest that the public should resort to extra-legal action in response".

Ruling against the plaintiff, the judge said fans would not expect "truthful accounts" from a musical attack "filled with vulgar language, insults, violent implications, and figurative and hyperbolic language."

She highlighted that the rapper himself had used similar language, quoting a lyric in which the artist "heavily" suggested that "Lamar is a domestic abuser", and a separate instance where Drake "claims that he 'was told' that one of his rival’s sons may not be biologically his."

Concerning the track in question, Judge Vargas said: "Even apparent statements of fact may take on the nature of statements of opinion... when made in public debate, heated labour dispute, or similar situations in which an listener may expect the use of epithets, passionate language or exaggeration."

Responding to the dismissal, a label spokesperson said: "From the beginning, 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 work effectively marketing Drake's music and supporting his artistic path," the representative added.

A representative for Drake said the rapper intended to contest the decision, "and we await the appellate court reviewing it".

Kendrick Lamar has not yet comment on the legal matter.