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A court official has thrown out Drake's legal claim targeting the music corporation over Kendrick Lamar’s song the diss record.

Judge the court’s judge ruled that Lamar's lyrics, which accused Drake and his associates of being "certified paedophiles", were "protected opinion" and could not be deemed defamatory.

Drake filed the lawsuit in January, accusing UMG, the record label representing the two rappers, of defamatory conduct by allowing the track to be released and marketed, saying it disseminated a "untrue and harmful story".

The artist’s spokesperson said he planned to challenge the decision. UMG expressed it was satisfied with the outcome and was looking forward to continuing its collaboration with the rapper.

Background of the Rap Battle

The diss song, which was initially released in May 2024, was broadly viewed as the final strike in an continuing feud 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-discussed moments of his Super Bowl half-time show in February.

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

"Both rappers’ seven-track rap battle was a 'verbal conflict' that was the focus of extensive press coverage and online discourse," the judge noted.

"Although the claim that Drake is a pedophile is undoubtedly a serious one, the broader context of a intense musical rivalry, with provocative remarks and insulting claims exchanged by each artist, would not incline the average audience 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 paedophilia accusations" that appeared in Not Like Us.

On the track his own release, the rapper used the AI-generated voice of Tupac Shakur 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 evaluated," wrote the court.

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

'A Slap in the Face to Creatives'

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

His legal team alleged the label of launching "a campaign to generate a popular song" out of a release that made the "untrue claim that the artist is a convicted predator, and to suggest that the public should resort to vigilante justice in retaliation".

Deciding against Drake, Judge Vargas said fans would not expect "accurate factual reporting" from a diss track "filled with vulgar language, insults, violent implications, and figurative and hyperbolic language."

She highlighted that the rapper himself had engaged in comparable rhetoric, quoting a lyric in which the star "strongly" suggested that "Lamar is a spouse beater", and another where he "claims that he 'heard' that one of his rival’s children may not be his biological offspring."

Concerning the track in question, the court said: "Even seemingly factual claims may assume the character of subjective views... when made in public debate, heated labour dispute, or similar situations in which an audience may anticipate the use of slurs, passionate language or hyperbole."

Reacting to the dismissal, a label representative said: "From the outset, this case was an insult to every creative and their creative expression and should not have been filed."

"We're pleased with the judge’s ruling and are eager to resuming our work successfully marketing the artist’s work and investing in his career," the representative added.

A representative for Drake said the rapper intended to contest the decision, "and we await the appellate court examining it".

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