🔗 Share this article

A court official has rejected Drake's defamation lawsuit targeting Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar’s track the diss record.

Judge the court’s judge determined that Lamar's song lyrics, which claimed Drake and his associates of being "certified paedophiles", were "protected opinion" and could not be deemed libelous.

The Canadian rapper submitted the lawsuit in January, accusing Universal Music Group, the music company behind both artists, of defamatory conduct by permitting the track to be released and marketed, saying it spread a "untrue and harmful story".

Drake's representative said he intended to appeal the decision. Universal Music Group said it was satisfied with the outcome and was looking forward to continuing its work with the musician.

Context of the Hip-Hop Feud

Not Like Us, which was first dropped 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 Lamar's career, having received five Grammys and being one of the most-discussed highlights of his Super Bowl half-time show in February.

In a 38-page order, Judge Vargas called the row between the rappers "the most notorious hip-hop feud in the history of rap music".

"The artists' seven-track rap battle was a 'war of words' that was the focus of substantial media scrutiny and digital debate," the judge wrote.

"While the claim that Drake is a child predator is undoubtedly a serious one, the wider backdrop of a heated rap battle, with incendiary language and offensive accusations exchanged by each artist, would not incline the reasonable listener to believe that 'Not Like Us' conveys verifiable facts about plaintiff."

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

On the song his own release, the rapper used the AI-generated voice of the late rapper to suggest strategies on how to prevail in the feud.

"Suggest he has a preference for minors, consider that a tip," the song proposed.

"It is in this context in which such lines as 'Hey Drake, I’ve heard you prefer them young' must be evaluated," stated the court.

"The parallel in the phrasing strongly indicates that this lyric is a direct callback to the artist’s own words in the earlier release."

'An Affront to Artists'

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

His legal team accused UMG of initiating "an effort to create a viral hit" out of a release that made the "untrue claim that the artist is a criminal paedophile, and to suggest that the audience should resort to extra-legal action in retaliation".

Deciding against the plaintiff, Judge Vargas said fans would not expect "accurate factual reporting" from a musical attack "replete with profanity, insults, violent implications, and figurative and hyperbolic language."

She pointed out that Drake himself had engaged in comparable rhetoric, quoting a lyric in which the artist "strongly" suggested that "Lamar is a domestic abuser", and another where Drake "raps that he 'was told' that one of Lamar's sons may not be his biological offspring."

Regarding the track in question, the court said: "Even seemingly factual claims may assume the character of statements of opinion... when made in open discourse, heated labour dispute, or other circumstances in which an audience may expect the use of slurs, fiery rhetoric or exaggeration."

Reacting to the rejection, a label representative said: "From the beginning, this case was an insult to every creative and their creative expression and never should have been filed."

"We're pleased with the judge’s ruling and are eager to continuing our partnership successfully marketing Drake's music and investing in his career," the spokesperson continued.

A spokesperson for the musician said the artist intended to contest the ruling, "and we await the Court of Appeals examining it".

Lamar has yet to comment on the case.