🔗 Share this article

A court official has thrown out Drake's defamation lawsuit targeting the music corporation concerning Kendrick Lamar's song the diss record.

Judge the court’s judge determined that the rapper’s song lyrics, which claimed Drake and his associates of being "certified paedophiles", were "nonactionable opinion" and could not be deemed defamatory.

The Canadian rapper submitted the lawsuit in January, claiming UMG, the music company behind both artists, of defamatory conduct by allowing the track to be released and promoted, saying it spread a "false and malicious narrative".

Drake's representative said he intended to appeal the ruling. UMG expressed it was satisfied with the result and was looking forward to continuing its collaboration with the rapper.

Context of the Rap Battle

The diss song, which was first dropped in May 2024, was widely seen as the decisive blow in an continuing feud between the rival rappers.

It has become the most successful track of Lamar's musical journey, having won multiple Grammy awards and being one of the most-discussed highlights of his Super Bowl performance in February.

In a detailed ruling, Judge Vargas called the dispute between the artists "the most infamous rap battle in the genre's history".

"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 Drake is a child predator is certainly a grave allegation, the wider backdrop of a heated rap battle, with provocative remarks and insulting claims exchanged by both participants, would not incline the average audience to believe that 'the track' conveys truthful statements about plaintiff."

She additionally observed that, in an previous track, Drake had "challenged his rival to make the paedophilia accusations" that featured in Not Like Us.

On the track Taylor Made Freestyle, Drake used the synthetic vocals 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 proposed.

"It is in this context in which such lines as 'Hey Drake, I’ve heard you prefer them young' must be evaluated," wrote Judge Vargas.

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

'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 alleged the label of initiating "a campaign to generate a popular song" out of a track that made the "false factual allegation that Drake is a criminal paedophile, and to imply that the audience should resort to extra-legal action in retaliation".

Ruling against Drake, the judge said listeners would not expect "truthful accounts" from a diss track "filled with profanity, 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 star "strongly" implied that "his opponent is a domestic abuser", and another where he "raps that he 'was told' that one of Lamar's children may not be his biological offspring."

Regarding the track in question, Judge Vargas said: "Although apparent statements of fact may assume the character of statements of opinion... when made in public debate, heated labour dispute, or other circumstances in which an listener may expect the use of slurs, fiery rhetoric or hyperbole."

Responding to the dismissal, a UMG representative said: "From the beginning, this lawsuit was an affront to all artists and their artistic freedom and never should have seen the light of day."

"We're pleased with the judge’s ruling and are eager to continuing our partnership successfully promoting the artist’s work and investing in his career," the spokesperson added.

A spokesperson for the musician said the rapper intended to appeal the decision, "and we look forward to the appellate court examining it".

Lamar has yet to comment on the case.