Drake has initiated legal proceedings against Universal Music, accusing the label of artificially inflating the streams of Kendrick Lamar’s diss track against him, “Not Like Us.”
In documents submitted in New York, Drake’s company, Frozen Moments LLC, alleges that Universal and the streaming platform Spotify engaged in an illegal “scheme” involving bots, payola, and other tactics to promote Lamar’s song.
Drake’s lawyers claim that Universal Music did not leave success to chance but instead executed a campaign to manipulate streaming services and airwaves.
A spokesperson for Universal dismissed the allegations as “offensive and untrue,” insisting that “fans choose the music they want to hear.” Spotify and Lamar have yet to comment on the matter.
The petition filed is a “pre-action petition,” enabling Drake’s lawyers to request the court to order Universal and Spotify to preserve all pertinent documents and information in anticipation of future legal action.
Reports indicate that the primary target of the action is Universal, with Spotify mentioned because it might possess information relevant to a lawsuit.
“Not Like Us” was regarded as the decisive strike in the escalating feud between Drake and Lamar earlier this year. Drake’s court filing underscores the song’s extraordinary success—96 million streams in seven days, number one on the US charts, and a top 10 radio hit—but suggests these accomplishments were artificially enhanced.
His lawyers assert that Universal “conspired with and paid currently unknown parties” to “artificially” boost the visibility of “Not Like Us.” They allege the label reduced its royalty rates for the track by 30% in return for Spotify promoting it to users.
The filing also refers to claims from a “whistleblower” on a podcast, who alleged they were paid $2,500 to set up software bots to stream the song repeatedly. Drake’s lawyers claim this effort extended to other streaming services, citing online reports that fans who asked Apple’s voice assistant to play Drake’s album “Certified Loverboy” were instead played “Not Like Us.”
Frances Ibiefo
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