United Kingdom, Oct. 10 -- Drake's lawsuit against his own record label has been dismissed.

The Canadian rapper sued Universal Music Group (UMG) for defamation relating to their releasing and promoting Kendrick Lamar's diss track Not Like Us but a federal judge in New York City ruled against him on Thursday (09.10.25).

Judge Jeannette Vargas ruled that the "vitriolic war of words" used in the song during a "heated rap battle" was not defamatory and that "the reasonable listener" would not take literally Kendrick's line that referred to Drake as a "certified paedophile" who should be "placed on neighbourhood watch."

In a ruling obtained by People magazine, the judge wrote: "Although the accusation that [Drake] is a paedophile is certain...