A United States federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit that Drake brought against Universal Music Group (UMG), accusing the record company of defamation over its distribution and promotion of Kendrick Lamar’s diss track, Not Like Us .

District Judge Jeannette Vargas dismissed the suit after she said Lamar’s Not Like Us was a “nonactionable opinion” that is not considered defamatory.

The feud between two of hip-hop’s biggest stars erupted in the spring of 2024, with the pair trading a series of tracks that culminated in Lamar landing the “metaphorical killing blow” with his megahit that May, Vargas said in her written opinion Thursday.

“The fact that the Recording was made in the midst of a rap battle is essential to assessing its impact on a reasonable listener,” Vargas wrot

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