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A court official has thrown out Drake's legal claim against Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar's song the diss record.

Presiding Judge the court’s judge determined that Lamar's lyrics, which claimed the artist and his associates of being "certified paedophiles", were "nonactionable opinion" and cannot be considered defamatory.

Drake submitted the legal action in January, claiming UMG, the music company behind the two rappers, of defamatory conduct by permitting the track to be released and promoted, saying it disseminated a "untrue and harmful story".

Drake's representative stated he planned to challenge the decision. Universal Music Group said it was pleased with the result and was looking forward to resuming its collaboration with the musician.

Background of the Rap Battle

The diss song, which was initially released in spring 2024, was widely seen 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 received multiple Grammy awards and being one of the most-talked about moments of his Super Bowl performance in February.

In a 38-page order, the judge called the row between the rappers "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 subject of substantial media scrutiny and online discourse," the judge wrote.

"Although the accusation that plaintiff is a child predator is certainly a serious one, the wider backdrop of a intense musical rivalry, with incendiary language and insulting claims hurled by each artist, would not lead the average audience to believe that 'the track' imparts truthful statements about the claimant."

She also noted that, in an previous track, the artist had "dared Lamar to make the pedophile claims" that appeared in Not Like Us.

On the song his own release, Drake used the synthetic vocals 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 lyrics as 'Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young' must be assessed," stated the court.

"The parallel in the wording strongly indicates that this line is a clear reference to Drake's lyrics in the earlier release."

'A Slap in the Face to Creatives'

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

His legal team accused UMG of launching "a campaign to create a viral hit" out of a release that made the "false factual allegation that the artist is a criminal paedophile, and to imply that the audience should resort to extra-legal action in response".

Deciding against Drake, Judge Vargas said fans would not expect "accurate factual reporting" from a musical attack "replete with vulgar language, insults, violent implications, and exaggerated statements."

She highlighted that Drake himself had engaged in similar language, referencing a line in which the star "strongly" suggested that "his opponent is a spouse beater", and a separate instance where he "claims that he 'was told' that one of Lamar's sons may not be his biological offspring."

Concerning Lamar's song, the court said: "Even seemingly factual claims may take on the nature of statements of opinion... when made in public debate, heated labour dispute, or similar situations in which an listener may anticipate the use of slurs, passionate language or hyperbole."

Responding to the rejection, a label representative said: "From the beginning, this case was an insult to all artists and their artistic freedom and should not have been filed."

"We are satisfied with the court's dismissal and are eager to resuming our work successfully promoting the artist’s work and supporting his career," the spokesperson added.

A representative for the musician said the rapper planned to contest the ruling, "and we look forward to the appellate court examining it".

Lamar has not yet comment on the case.