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A court official has thrown out Drake's defamation lawsuit against the music corporation concerning Kendrick Lamar’s song the diss record.

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

Drake submitted the legal action in January, accusing Universal Music Group, the record label representing the two rappers, of defamatory conduct by allowing the track to be published and promoted, saying it spread a "false and malicious narrative".

The artist’s representative stated he intended to appeal the ruling. Universal Music Group said it was satisfied with the result and was eager to continuing its work with the musician.

Background of the Hip-Hop Feud

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

It has emerged as the biggest hit of the rapper’s musical journey, having received five Grammys and being one of the most-talked about highlights of his Super Bowl half-time show in February.

In a detailed ruling, the judge called the dispute between the rappers "the most notorious hip-hop feud in the history of rap music".

"Both rappers’ series of diss tracks was a 'verbal conflict' that was the subject of substantial media scrutiny and digital debate," the court noted.

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

She additionally observed that, in an previous track, 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 Tupac Shakur to give Lamar advice on how to win the rap battle.

"Talk about him likin' young girls, that's a gift from me," the song proposed.

"It is in this context in which such lines as 'Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young' must be assessed," wrote Judge Vargas.

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

'A Slap in the Face to Creatives'

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

His lawyers alleged UMG of initiating "an effort to generate a viral hit" out of a track that made the "false factual allegation that Drake is a convicted predator, and to imply that the public should resort to extra-legal action in retaliation".

Deciding against Drake, the judge said listeners would not expect "accurate factual reporting" from a diss track "replete with vulgar language, insults, violent implications, and exaggerated statements."

She highlighted that the rapper himself had used similar language, referencing a line in which the artist "strongly" implied that "his opponent is a domestic abuser", and another where he "raps that he 'was told' that one of his rival’s sons may not be his biological offspring."

Regarding the track in question, Judge Vargas said: "Even apparent statements of fact may take on the nature of subjective views... when made in open discourse, intense arguments, or similar situations in which an listener may anticipate the use of slurs, passionate language or hyperbole."

Responding to the rejection, a label representative said: "From the beginning, this lawsuit was an insult to all artists 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 continuing our work successfully marketing the artist’s work and investing in his artistic path," the representative added.

A spokesperson for the musician said the artist planned to appeal the ruling, "and we look forward to the appellate court examining it".

Lamar has not yet issue a statement on the legal matter.