Judge Throws Out Drake's Legal Case Over Kendrick Lamar's Not Like Us

A court official has rejected the rapper Drake’s legal claim targeting the music corporation over Kendrick Lamar’s track the diss record.

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

The Canadian rapper filed the lawsuit in early this year, claiming Universal Music Group, the record label representing the two rappers, of defamation by permitting the track to be released and promoted, stating it spread a "untrue and harmful story".

The artist’s representative said he intended to challenge the ruling. Universal Music Group said it was satisfied with the outcome and was looking forward to resuming its collaboration with the rapper.

Background of the Hip-Hop Feud

The diss song, which was first dropped in spring 2024, was widely seen as the decisive blow in an ongoing battle between the rival rappers.

It has become the most successful track 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 early 2025.

In a detailed ruling, the judge called the row between the rappers "the most notorious hip-hop feud in the history of rap music".

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

"Although the accusation that Drake is a pedophile is certainly a serious one, the broader context of a intense musical rivalry, with incendiary language and offensive accusations exchanged by each artist, would not lead the average audience to believe that 'the track' conveys truthful statements about the claimant."

She also noted that, in an earlier song, the artist had "dared Lamar to make the paedophilia accusations" that featured in the diss record.

On the track Taylor Made Freestyle, Drake used the AI-generated voice of the late rapper to give Lamar advice on how to win the rap battle.

"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 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."

'An Affront to Artists'

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

His lawyers accused UMG of launching "an effort to generate a viral hit" out of a track that made the "untrue claim that Drake is a criminal paedophile, and to suggest that the public should resort to extra-legal action in retaliation".

Deciding against Drake, Judge Vargas said listeners would not expect "accurate factual reporting" from a musical attack "filled with profanity, insults, violent implications, and exaggerated statements."

She highlighted that Drake himself had engaged in comparable rhetoric, quoting a line in which the star "heavily" suggested that "his opponent is a spouse beater", and another where Drake "claims that he 'was told' that one of Lamar's children may not be his biological offspring."

Regarding the track in question, the court said: "Although apparent statements of fact 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 epithets, fiery rhetoric or hyperbole."

Reacting to the dismissal, a label representative said: "From the outset, this case was an insult to every creative and their artistic freedom and never should have been filed."

"We are satisfied with the judge’s ruling and are eager to continuing our work effectively marketing Drake's music and investing in his artistic path," the spokesperson added.

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

Lamar has not yet comment on the legal matter.