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A United States federal judge has thrown out a defamation case filed by Canadian rapper Drake against his own label Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar’s viral diss track.

In 2024, the superstar rappers exchanged a litany of increasingly vitriolic songs, with Lamar delivering the major blow with his chart-topping “Not Like Us”.

In his suit filed in January, Drake accused Universal – which is behind both artists – of betraying him in favour of profits by promoting the song, which features punchlines that accuse him of paedophilia.

The lawsuit also cited the track’s promotion as causing a “physical threat to Drake’s safety” as well as a “bombardment of online harassment”.

But Judge Jeannette Vargas said Lamar’s lyrics about the 38-year-old Canadian artist – born Aubrey Drake Graham – amounted to “non-actionable opinion”.

“The issue in this case is whether ‘Not Like Us’ can reasonably be understood to convey as a factual matter that Drake is a paedophile or that he has engaged in sexual relations with minors,” Vargas wrote in her ruling.

“In light of the overall context in which the statements in the recording were made, the Court holds that it cannot.”

In a statement after the ruling, Universal Music Group called the suit “an affront to all artists and their creative expression and never should have seen the light of day”.

“We’re pleased with the court’s dismissal and look forward to continuing our work successfully promoting Drake’s music and investing in his career.”

Lamar, a Pulitzer Prize winner who is also 38, went on to perform the Grammy-winning “Not Like Us” as the headliner of the Super Bowl halftime show in February.

He cut the profanity and the word “paedophile” but didn’t stop short of the money line, rapping “tryna strike a chord and it’s probably A-minoooooor” on live television in front of more than 130 million viewers.

-Agence France-Presse