Judge Dismisses Rapper Drake's Lawsuit Regarding Kendrick Lamar's Diss Track

A court official has rejected Drake's defamation lawsuit against the music corporation concerning Kendrick Lamar’s song Not Like Us.

Judge the court’s judge determined that Lamar's song lyrics, which accused the artist and his crew of being "pedophiles", were "nonactionable opinion" and cannot be deemed defamatory.

Drake submitted the lawsuit in January, claiming UMG, the music company behind the two rappers, of defamatory conduct by allowing the track to be published and promoted, stating it spread a "untrue and harmful story".

The artist’s spokesperson stated he planned to challenge the decision. UMG said it was pleased with the outcome and was looking forward to resuming its work with the rapper.

Context of the Hip-Hop Feud

Not Like Us, which was first dropped in spring 2024, was widely seen as the decisive blow in an ongoing battle between the rival rappers.

It has become the biggest hit of the rapper’s career, having won multiple Grammy awards and being one of the most-discussed highlights of his Super Bowl performance in February.

In a 38-page order, Judge Vargas called the row between the artists "the most infamous rap battle in the genre's history".

"Both rappers’ series of diss tracks was a 'war of words' that was the subject of substantial media scrutiny and online discourse," the judge noted.

"Although the accusation that plaintiff is a child predator is certainly a grave allegation, the wider backdrop of a intense musical rivalry, with provocative remarks and insulting claims hurled by each artist, would not lead the average audience to believe that 'Not Like Us' imparts truthful statements about plaintiff."

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

On the song Taylor Made Freestyle, Drake 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 suggested.

"Against this backdrop in which such lines as 'Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young' must be assessed," stated the court.

"The similarity in the phrasing suggests strongly that this lyric is a direct callback to the artist’s own words in the prior song."

'An Affront to Artists'

Drake, whose real name is Aubrey Drake Graham, did not name his rival in the lawsuit.

His legal team alleged the label of initiating "an effort to create a viral hit" out of a release that made the "false factual allegation that the artist is a criminal paedophile, and to suggest that the audience should turn to vigilante justice in retaliation".

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

She highlighted that the rapper himself had engaged in similar language, quoting a line in which the artist "strongly" suggested that "his opponent is a spouse beater", and another where Drake "claims that he 'heard' that one of his rival’s sons may not be biologically his."

Regarding Lamar's song, the court said: "Even seemingly factual claims may take on the nature of statements of opinion... when made in open discourse, intense arguments, or similar situations in which an audience may expect the use of slurs, passionate language or exaggeration."

Responding to the rejection, a label representative said: "From the outset, this lawsuit was an insult to every creative and their artistic freedom and never should have been filed."

"We're pleased with the judge’s ruling and look forward to resuming our work effectively marketing the artist’s work and supporting his artistic path," the representative added.

A representative for Drake said the rapper planned to appeal the decision, "and we await the Court of Appeals examining it".

Kendrick Lamar has not yet issue a statement on the case.