Drake has filed legal action against Universal Music Group (UMG) and Spotify, accusing them of conspiring to artificially boost the popularity of Kendrick Lamar’s diss track, Not Like Us, while suppressing his music. The petition, filed in New York Supreme Court on Monday, alleges that the two giants engaged in a calculated campaign to manipulate streaming services and airwaves to elevate Lamar’s track at the expense of Drake’s.
Drake’s legal team, representing his company Frozen Moments LLC, claims that UMG conspired with unidentified parties to use “bots” to inflate streams of Not Like Us, misleading consumers into believing the track had a far larger following than it truly did. The petition also accuses UMG of paying influencers to promote the song on social media and setting up pay-to-play deals with radio stations to increase its reach.
“UMG… conspired with and paid currently unknown parties to use ‘bots’ to artificially inflate the spread of Not Like Us and deceive consumers,” Drake’s attorneys wrote.
In response to the allegations, a spokesperson for UMG told The Guardian, “The suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue. We employ the highest ethical practices in our marketing and promotional campaigns. No amount of contrived and absurd legal arguments in this pre-action submission can mask the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear.” Spotify declined to comment on the matter.
Both Drake and Lamar have long been associated with UMG: Drake through Republic Records and Lamar through Interscope, both subsidiaries of the company. However, despite their shared label, their legal conflict is taking an increasingly personal turn, fueled by a bitter exchange of diss tracks.
The legal petition is part of a process under New York law that allows Drake’s attorneys to seek a court order demanding UMG and Spotify preserve all relevant documents and information ahead of a potential full lawsuit. The move signifies a significant escalation in the ongoing tension between the two rap icons.
The feud between Drake and Lamar began with a series of diss tracks exchanged between the two, including Lamar’s Not Like Us, in which he made inflammatory allegations against Drake, such as accusations of underage relationships and secret children. In retaliation, Drake fired back with songs like Family Matters and The Heart Part 6, which accused Lamar of domestic abuse and infidelity, as well as criticizing his collaborations with Taylor Swift and his physical stature. Both rappers have denied the allegations made against them.
Drake’s petition goes even further, accusing UMG of reducing licensing rates to Spotify in exchange for preferential treatment of Lamar’s track, even pushing the song to listeners who weren’t searching for it. Additionally, it alleges that UMG paid Apple to manipulate its digital assistant, Siri, to redirect users searching for Drake’s music to Not Like Us.
According to the legal filing, these actions led to Not Like Us becoming the most-streamed diss track in Spotify history, with 900 million streams. The track also broke Spotify records for the most streams in a single day by a hip-hop song (12.8 million) and the most streams in a week by a rapper (81.2 million).
Drake’s legal team argues that UMG’s actions were driven by a desire for financial gain, particularly the boost in streaming of Lamar’s back catalogue, which also benefitted UMG. They further claim that Drake has attempted to resolve the issue privately with the label, but UMG has shown “no interest in taking responsibility” for its alleged actions and instead has pointed the finger at Lamar, directing Drake to take legal action against the rapper rather than the label.
The petition also alleges that UMG has been taking steps to conceal its activities, including firing employees associated with or loyal to Drake.
Drake’s legal team is invoking the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act in the lawsuit, a federal law typically used to prosecute organized crime, in addition to accusations of deceptive business practices and false advertising.
