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A judge has rejected Drake's defamation lawsuit targeting the music corporation over Kendrick Lamar's track 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 cannot be deemed libelous.

Drake filed the legal action in January, accusing Universal Music Group, the record label behind the two rappers, of defamation by permitting the song to be published and marketed, stating it disseminated a "false and malicious narrative".

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

Background of the Hip-Hop Feud

The diss song, which was initially released in May 2024, was widely seen as the decisive blow in an continuing feud between the competing artists.

It has become the biggest hit of Lamar's musical journey, having won multiple Grammy awards and being one of the most-talked about moments of his Super Bowl half-time show in February.

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

"The artists' seven-track rap battle was a 'verbal conflict' that was the focus of extensive press coverage and online discourse," the judge noted.

"Although the claim that plaintiff is a pedophile is undoubtedly a grave allegation, the broader context of a intense musical rivalry, with incendiary language and insulting claims exchanged by both participants, would not lead the reasonable listener to believe that 'the track' conveys truthful statements about plaintiff."

She also noted that, in an previous track, Drake had "challenged Lamar to make the paedophilia accusations" that appeared in Not Like Us.

On the track Taylor Made Freestyle, Drake used the AI-generated voice of the late rapper 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 assessed," stated the court.

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

'An Affront to Artists'

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

His lawyers accused the label of initiating "an effort to create a viral hit" out of a track that made the "untrue claim that the artist is a criminal paedophile, and to imply that the audience should turn to extra-legal action in response".

Deciding against the plaintiff, the judge said listeners would not expect "accurate factual reporting" from a diss track "replete with profanity, trash-talking, violent implications, and exaggerated statements."

She pointed out that the rapper himself had used comparable rhetoric, referencing a line in which the artist "strongly" suggested that "his opponent is a domestic abuser", and a separate instance where Drake "claims that he 'heard' that one of Lamar's children may not be biologically his."

Concerning the track in question, the court said: "Even seemingly factual claims may assume the character of statements of opinion... when made in public debate, heated labour dispute, or similar situations in which an listener may expect the use of slurs, fiery rhetoric or hyperbole."

Responding to the dismissal, a label representative said: "From the outset, this case was an affront to every creative and their artistic freedom and should not have seen the light of day."

"We're pleased with the judge’s ruling and are eager to resuming our work effectively marketing the artist’s work and investing in his career," the spokesperson added.

A spokesperson for Drake said the rapper intended to contest the decision, "and we await the Court of Appeals reviewing it".

Lamar has not yet comment on the legal matter.