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A court official has rejected the rapper Drake’s defamation lawsuit against the music corporation concerning Kendrick Lamar’s track the diss record.

Judge Jeannette Vargas determined that Lamar's song lyrics, which accused Drake and his associates of being "pedophiles", were "protected opinion" and cannot be deemed defamatory.

Drake filed the lawsuit in January, accusing UMG, the music company behind the two rappers, of defamation by permitting the track to be released and promoted, stating it spread a "false and malicious narrative".

The artist’s representative said he planned to appeal the decision. Universal Music Group expressed it was pleased with the result and was looking forward to resuming its collaboration with the rapper.

Background of the Hip-Hop Feud

The diss song, which was first dropped in spring 2024, was broadly viewed as the final strike in an continuing feud between the competing artists.

It has become the biggest hit of the rapper’s musical journey, having received five Grammys and being one of the most-discussed moments of his Super Bowl performance in February.

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

"Both rappers’ seven-track rap battle was a 'war of words' that was the focus of extensive press coverage and digital debate," the judge noted.

"Although the claim that plaintiff is a child predator is undoubtedly a serious one, the wider backdrop of a intense musical rivalry, with incendiary language and insulting claims exchanged by each artist, would not incline the reasonable listener to believe that 'the track' conveys verifiable facts about the claimant."

She additionally observed that, in an previous track, the artist had "challenged his rival to make the pedophile claims" that appeared in the diss record.

On the song Taylor Made Freestyle, Drake used the AI-generated voice of the late rapper to suggest strategies 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 similarity in the wording strongly indicates that this lyric is a direct callback to Drake's lyrics in the prior song."

'An Affront to Artists'

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

His lawyers alleged UMG of initiating "a campaign to generate a popular song" out of a release that made the "untrue claim that the artist is a criminal paedophile, and to imply that the audience should resort to vigilante justice in retaliation".

Ruling against Drake, Judge Vargas said fans would not expect "truthful accounts" from a musical attack "filled with profanity, insults, violent implications, and figurative and hyperbolic language."

She pointed out that Drake himself had used similar language, quoting a lyric in which the artist "strongly" suggested that "his opponent is a spouse beater", and another where he "raps that he 'was told' that one of Lamar's children may not be his biological offspring."

Concerning Lamar's song, Judge Vargas said: "Even apparent statements of fact may assume the character of statements of opinion... when made in public debate, intense arguments, or other circumstances in which an audience may anticipate the use of epithets, fiery rhetoric or exaggeration."

Reacting to the rejection, a UMG spokesperson said: "From the beginning, this case was an insult to every creative and their creative expression and never should have seen the light of day."

"We are satisfied with the judge’s ruling and look forward to continuing our partnership effectively promoting Drake's music and supporting his career," the representative continued.

A representative for Drake said the rapper intended to appeal the ruling, "and we await the Court of Appeals reviewing it".

Kendrick Lamar has yet to issue a statement on the case.