Judge Throws Out Rapper Drake's Legal Case Regarding Kendrick Lamar’s Hit Not Like Us

A court official has dismissed Drake's legal claim targeting the music corporation concerning Kendrick Lamar's track the diss record.

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

Drake filed the lawsuit in early this year, accusing UMG, the music company behind the two rappers, of defamation by permitting the track to be released and promoted, stating it disseminated a "untrue and harmful story".

Drake's representative said he intended to challenge the decision. Universal Music Group expressed it was satisfied with the outcome and was eager to resuming its collaboration with the rapper.

Context of the Rap Battle

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

It has emerged as the most successful track of Lamar's career, having won five Grammys and being one of the most-talked about highlights of his Super Bowl half-time show in early 2025.

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

"The artists' seven-track rap battle was a 'war of words' that was the subject of extensive press coverage and online discourse," the court wrote.

"Although the accusation that Drake is a child predator is undoubtedly a grave allegation, the broader context of a intense musical rivalry, with incendiary language and offensive accusations exchanged by each artist, would not lead the average audience to believe that 'the track' conveys verifiable facts about the claimant."

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

On the song Taylor Made Freestyle, the rapper used the AI-generated voice of the late rapper to give Lamar advice on how to win the rap battle.

"Suggest he has a preference for minors, consider that a tip," the song proposed.

"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 parallel in the phrasing strongly indicates that this line is a direct callback to Drake's lyrics in the earlier release."

'An Affront to Artists'

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

His lawyers alleged UMG of launching "an effort to generate a popular song" out of a track that made the "untrue claim that Drake is a convicted predator, and to suggest that the audience should resort to vigilante justice in response".

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

She pointed out that the rapper himself had engaged in comparable rhetoric, quoting a lyric in which the artist "strongly" suggested that "his opponent is a spouse beater", and a separate instance where Drake "raps that he 'heard' that one of Lamar's children may not be his biological offspring."

Concerning the track in question, Judge Vargas said: "Although apparent statements of fact may assume the character of subjective views... when made in open discourse, heated labour dispute, or similar situations in which an listener may anticipate the use of slurs, fiery rhetoric or hyperbole."

Responding to the dismissal, a UMG representative said: "From the outset, this lawsuit was an affront to every creative and their creative expression and never should have seen the light of day."

"We are satisfied with the court's dismissal and are eager to resuming our partnership effectively marketing Drake's music and investing in his career," the spokesperson continued.

A representative for the musician said the artist intended to appeal the ruling, "and we await the Court of Appeals examining it".

Kendrick Lamar has yet to comment on the case.