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A court official has thrown out the rapper Drake’s legal claim against Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar's song the diss record.

Judge the court’s judge ruled that the rapper’s song lyrics, which claimed the artist and his crew of being "pedophiles", were "nonactionable opinion" and could not be considered defamatory.

The Canadian rapper filed the lawsuit in January, accusing Universal Music Group, the music company representing the two rappers, of defamatory conduct by allowing the track to be released and promoted, stating it spread a "false and malicious narrative".

Drake's representative stated he planned to challenge the decision. Universal Music Group said it was pleased with the outcome and was eager to resuming its work with the rapper.

Background of the Rap Battle

The diss song, which was initially released in spring 2024, was widely seen as the decisive blow in an continuing feud between the rival rappers.

It has become the most successful track of the rapper’s career, having won five Grammys and being one of the most-talked about moments of his Super Bowl half-time show in early 2025.

In a 38-page order, Judge Vargas called the dispute between the rappers "the most notorious hip-hop feud in the genre's history".

"The artists' series of diss tracks was a 'war of words' that was the focus of extensive press coverage and online discourse," the court wrote.

"Although the claim that Drake is a pedophile is certainly a serious one, the wider backdrop of a intense musical rivalry, with provocative remarks and offensive accusations hurled by each artist, would not lead the average audience to believe that 'the track' conveys verifiable facts about the claimant."

She also noted that, in an previous track, Drake had "dared Lamar to make the pedophile claims" that appeared in the diss record.

On the song his own release, Drake used the synthetic vocals of Tupac Shakur to give Lamar advice 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 'Hey Drake, I’ve heard you prefer them young' must be evaluated," wrote Judge Vargas.

"The similarity in the wording suggests strongly that this line is a clear reference to Drake's lyrics in the prior song."

'An Affront to Artists'

Drake, whose legal name is Aubrey Graham, did not sue Lamar in the legal filing.

His legal team accused the label of initiating "a campaign to generate a viral hit" out of a release that made the "untrue claim that the artist is a criminal paedophile, and to suggest that the public should turn to extra-legal action in response".

Ruling against Drake, the judge said fans would not expect "accurate factual reporting" from a diss track "filled with profanity, trash-talking, violent implications, and exaggerated statements."

She highlighted that the rapper himself had engaged in comparable rhetoric, quoting a line in which the artist "heavily" implied that "Lamar is a domestic abuser", and a separate instance where he "claims that he 'was told' that one of Lamar's sons may not be biologically his."

Concerning Lamar's song, the court said: "Even 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, passionate language or hyperbole."

Reacting to the dismissal, a UMG representative said: "From the outset, this case was an affront to every creative and their creative expression and should not have been filed."

"We're pleased with the court's dismissal and look forward to resuming our work successfully promoting the artist’s work and investing in his career," the spokesperson continued.

A spokesperson for the musician said the rapper planned to appeal the decision, "and we look forward to the Court of Appeals reviewing it".

Lamar has yet to comment on the case.