🔗 Share this article

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

Presiding Judge the court’s judge ruled that Lamar's song lyrics, which accused the artist and his associates of being "certified paedophiles", were "nonactionable opinion" and cannot be considered defamatory.

Drake submitted the lawsuit in January, accusing UMG, the record label representing both artists, of defamation by allowing the track to be published and marketed, saying it disseminated a "untrue and harmful story".

Drake's representative said he planned to appeal the decision. Universal Music Group said it was satisfied with the result and was looking forward to resuming its collaboration with the rapper.

Context of the Hip-Hop Feud

The diss song, which was initially released in spring 2024, was broadly viewed as the decisive blow in an ongoing battle between the competing artists.

It has become the most successful track of Lamar's career, having won multiple Grammy awards and being one of the most-talked about moments of his Super Bowl performance in February.

In a 38-page order, the judge called the row 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 focus of extensive press coverage and online discourse," the court wrote.

"Although the claim that plaintiff is a child predator is certainly a grave allegation, the broader context of a intense musical rivalry, with provocative remarks and offensive accusations hurled by both participants, would not lead the reasonable listener to believe that 'the track' imparts verifiable facts about plaintiff."

She additionally observed that, in an earlier song, Drake had "dared Lamar to make the pedophile claims" that appeared in the diss record.

On the track his own release, Drake used the AI-generated voice of the late rapper to give Lamar advice on how to win the rap battle.

"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 assessed," stated Judge Vargas.

"The similarity in the phrasing strongly indicates that this line is a direct callback to Drake's lyrics in the prior song."

'A Slap in the Face to Creatives'

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

His legal team alleged the label of initiating "a campaign to generate a popular song" out of a track that made the "false factual allegation that Drake is a criminal paedophile, and to imply that the public should resort to extra-legal action in retaliation".

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

She pointed out that Drake himself had engaged in similar language, referencing a line in which the star "heavily" implied that "his opponent is a domestic abuser", and another where Drake "raps that he 'heard' that one of Lamar's sons may not be biologically his."

Regarding Lamar's song, Judge Vargas 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 anticipate the use of epithets, fiery rhetoric or hyperbole."

Responding to the rejection, a label representative said: "From the beginning, this case was an affront to all artists and their artistic freedom and should not have been filed."

"We are satisfied with the judge’s ruling and look forward to continuing our partnership successfully promoting Drake's music and investing in his artistic path," the spokesperson added.

A representative for Drake said the artist intended to contest the decision, "and we await the Court of Appeals examining it".

Kendrick Lamar has yet to comment on the legal matter.