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

Judge Jeannette Vargas decided that the rapper’s lyrics, which claimed the artist and his associates of being "certified paedophiles", were "nonactionable opinion" and could not be considered libelous.

The Canadian rapper filed the lawsuit in early this year, claiming Universal Music Group, the record label representing the two rappers, of defamatory conduct by permitting the song to be published and promoted, saying it disseminated a "untrue and harmful story".

Drake's spokesperson said he intended to challenge the ruling. Universal Music Group expressed it was pleased with the outcome and was eager to continuing its work with the musician.

Context of the Hip-Hop Feud

The diss song, which was first dropped in May 2024, was broadly viewed as the final strike in an continuing feud between the rival rappers.

It has become the most successful track of Lamar's career, having received five Grammys and being one of the most-talked about moments of his Super Bowl half-time show in February.

In a detailed ruling, the judge called the dispute between the rappers "the most notorious hip-hop feud in the history of rap music".

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

"While the claim that Drake is a child predator is undoubtedly a serious one, the wider backdrop of a intense musical rivalry, with incendiary language and offensive accusations exchanged by both participants, would not incline the reasonable listener to believe that 'the track' imparts verifiable facts about plaintiff."

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

On the track his own release, Drake used the synthetic vocals 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 suggested.

"It is in this context in which such lyrics as 'Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young' must be assessed," wrote the court.

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

'A Slap in the Face to Creatives'

The musician, whose legal name is Aubrey Graham, did not sue Lamar in the legal filing.

His legal team alleged UMG of launching "an effort to generate a popular song" out of a release that made the "untrue claim that the artist is a convicted predator, and to imply that the audience should turn to vigilante justice in response".

Ruling against Drake, the judge said fans would not expect "accurate factual reporting" from a diss track "filled with profanity, trash-talking, violent implications, and figurative and hyperbolic language."

She pointed out that Drake himself had engaged in comparable rhetoric, referencing a lyric in which the star "strongly" implied that "Lamar is a spouse beater", and another where he "claims that he 'was told' that one of his rival’s sons may not be his biological offspring."

Concerning Lamar's song, the court said: "Even seemingly factual claims may assume the character of subjective views... when made in open discourse, intense arguments, or similar situations in which an listener may expect the use of slurs, fiery rhetoric or hyperbole."

Responding to the rejection, a UMG spokesperson said: "From the outset, this case was an affront to every creative and their artistic freedom and should not have seen the light of day."

"We are satisfied with the court's dismissal and are eager to resuming our work effectively marketing Drake's music and supporting his artistic path," the representative added.

A representative for Drake said the artist intended to appeal the ruling, "and we look forward to the Court of Appeals reviewing it".

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