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A court official has rejected the rapper Drake’s legal claim targeting Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar's song the diss record.

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

The Canadian rapper submitted the lawsuit in January, claiming UMG, the record label behind the two rappers, of defamatory conduct by permitting the song to be published and marketed, stating it disseminated a "untrue and harmful story".

Drake's spokesperson said he planned to challenge the ruling. Universal Music Group said it was pleased with the result and was looking forward to continuing its work with the musician.

Context of the Hip-Hop Feud

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

It has emerged as the most successful track of the rapper’s career, having received multiple Grammy awards and being one of the most-talked about moments of his Super Bowl performance in early 2025.

In a detailed ruling, Judge Vargas called the dispute between the rappers "the most infamous rap battle 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 online discourse," the judge noted.

"While the claim that plaintiff is a pedophile is certainly a grave allegation, the broader context of a intense musical rivalry, with provocative remarks and insulting claims exchanged by each artist, would not lead the reasonable listener to believe that 'the track' imparts verifiable facts about the claimant."

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

On the song Taylor Made Freestyle, Drake used the AI-generated voice of Tupac Shakur to suggest strategies on how to win the rap battle.

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

"Against this backdrop in which such lines as 'Hey Drake, I’ve heard you prefer them young' must be evaluated," stated the court.

"The parallel in the phrasing suggests strongly that this lyric is a direct callback to Drake's lyrics in the prior song."

'A Slap in the Face to Creatives'

Drake, whose real name is Aubrey Drake Graham, did not name Lamar in the legal filing.

His legal team alleged UMG of initiating "a campaign to create a popular song" out of a release that made the "false factual allegation that the artist is a convicted predator, and to suggest that the public should turn to vigilante justice in retaliation".

Deciding against the plaintiff, Judge Vargas said listeners would not expect "truthful accounts" from a diss track "replete with vulgar language, trash-talking, violent implications, and figurative and hyperbolic language."

She pointed out that the rapper himself had used comparable rhetoric, quoting a line in which the artist "strongly" implied that "Lamar is a spouse beater", and another where Drake "claims that he 'heard' that one of his rival’s children may not be his biological offspring."

Regarding Lamar's song, the court said: "Even seemingly factual claims may take on the nature of subjective views... when made in public debate, heated labour dispute, or other circumstances in which an listener may anticipate the use of epithets, passionate language or exaggeration."

Responding to the rejection, a UMG representative said: "From the outset, this case was an insult to all artists and their creative expression and never should have been filed."

"We are satisfied with the court's dismissal and look forward to continuing our work effectively marketing Drake's music and investing in his artistic path," the spokesperson continued.

A representative for Drake said the artist planned to contest the decision, "and we look forward to the Court of Appeals reviewing it".

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