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

Presiding Judge the court’s judge determined that the rapper’s lyrics, which claimed the artist and his associates of being "certified paedophiles", were "nonactionable opinion" and cannot be deemed libelous.

Drake filed the lawsuit in January, accusing Universal Music Group, the music company behind both artists, of defamatory conduct by permitting the track to be published and promoted, saying it spread a "false and malicious narrative".

The artist’s spokesperson said he intended to appeal the ruling. UMG expressed it was satisfied with the outcome and was looking forward to continuing its work with the musician.

Context of the Rap Battle

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

It has become 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 performance in early 2025.

In a detailed ruling, Judge Vargas called the dispute between the artists "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 subject of substantial media scrutiny and digital debate," the judge wrote.

"While the accusation that Drake is a child predator is certainly a grave allegation, the broader context of a intense musical rivalry, with incendiary language and offensive accusations hurled by each artist, would not incline 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 "challenged his rival to make the paedophilia accusations" that appeared in the diss record.

On the track Taylor Made Freestyle, the rapper 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 track suggested.

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

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

'A Slap in the Face to Creatives'

The musician, whose real name is Aubrey Drake Graham, did not name Lamar in the legal filing.

His legal team alleged the label of launching "a campaign to create a popular song" out of a release that made the "untrue claim that Drake is a criminal paedophile, and to imply that the audience should turn to vigilante justice in response".

Deciding against Drake, the judge said listeners would not expect "accurate factual reporting" from a diss track "replete with profanity, insults, threats of violence, and figurative and hyperbolic language."

She pointed out that Drake himself had engaged in similar language, referencing a lyric in which the star "heavily" implied that "Lamar is a spouse beater", and another where Drake "claims that he 'was told' that one of his rival’s sons may not be his biological offspring."

Concerning the track in question, Judge Vargas said: "Even seemingly factual claims may assume the character of statements of opinion... when made in open discourse, heated labour dispute, or similar situations in which an listener may anticipate the use of slurs, fiery rhetoric or exaggeration."

Reacting to the rejection, a UMG spokesperson said: "From the outset, this lawsuit was an affront to all artists and their creative expression and never should have seen the light of day."

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

A spokesperson for the musician said the rapper planned to contest the decision, "and we look forward to the appellate court reviewing it".

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