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

A court official has dismissed Drake's legal claim targeting Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar's track Not Like Us.

Presiding 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.

The Canadian rapper filed the lawsuit in January, claiming UMG, the record label representing the two rappers, of defamatory conduct by permitting the track to be published and promoted, stating it spread a "untrue and harmful story".

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

Context of the Hip-Hop Feud

Not Like Us, which was first dropped in spring 2024, was broadly viewed as the final strike in an ongoing battle between the competing artists.

It has emerged as the biggest hit of Lamar's career, having won multiple Grammy awards and being one of the most-talked about highlights of his Super Bowl half-time show in early 2025.

In a detailed ruling, Judge Vargas called the dispute between the rappers "the most infamous rap battle in the genre's history".

"Both rappers’ seven-track rap battle was a 'war of words' that was the subject of substantial media scrutiny and online discourse," the judge noted.

"Although the claim that plaintiff is a pedophile is certainly a grave allegation, the broader context of a intense musical rivalry, with provocative remarks and insulting claims exchanged by each artist, would not incline the reasonable listener to believe that 'Not Like Us' conveys truthful statements about the claimant."

She also noted that, in an earlier song, the artist had "dared his rival to make the pedophile claims" that appeared in Not Like Us.

On the track his own release, Drake 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 track suggested.

"It is in this context in which such lines as 'Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young' must be evaluated," stated the court.

"The similarity in the phrasing suggests strongly that this line 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 Drake Graham, did not name his rival in the lawsuit.

His legal team accused UMG of initiating "a campaign to create a viral hit" out of a track that made the "untrue claim that the artist is a convicted predator, and to suggest that the public should resort to extra-legal action in retaliation".

Deciding against the plaintiff, Judge Vargas said listeners would not expect "accurate factual reporting" from a diss track "filled with profanity, trash-talking, threats of violence, and figurative and hyperbolic language."

She highlighted that Drake himself had used similar language, quoting a lyric in which the star "strongly" suggested that "Lamar is a spouse beater", and a separate instance where Drake "claims that he 'was told' that one of Lamar's sons may not be his biological offspring."

Regarding the track in question, Judge Vargas 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 listener may expect the use of epithets, fiery rhetoric or hyperbole."

Reacting to the rejection, a UMG representative said: "From the beginning, this case was an insult to every creative and their creative expression and should not have seen the light of day."

"We are satisfied with the court's dismissal and look forward to resuming our partnership successfully promoting the artist’s work and investing in his artistic path," the spokesperson continued.

A representative for the musician said the rapper intended to contest the decision, "and we look forward to the Court of Appeals examining it".

Lamar has not yet comment on the case.