Canadian rapper Drake has filed lawsuits against Universal Music Group (UMG) and Spotify, accusing them of orchestrating a scheme to artificially inflate the streams of Kendrick Lamar’s diss track, ‘Not Like Us’, while suppressing his own music.
In a petition submitted to the New York Supreme Court on Monday, lawyers for Drake’s company, Frozen Moments LLC, alleged that UMG and Spotify engaged in illegal practices, including the use of bots, payola, and other methods to promote Lamar’s song.
“UMG did not rely on chance, or even ordinary business practices,” Drake’s legal team argued in the filing. “It instead launched a campaign to manipulate and saturate the streaming services and airwaves.”
The lawsuit claimed that the track which amassed 96 million streams within seven days, climbed to number one on U.S. charts, and became a top 10 radio hit was licensed to Spotify at a 30% discount in exchange for special promotion and recommendations to users.
In a separate lawsuit filed in Texas, Drake also accused UMG of defamation, alleging the company knowingly distributed a song that falsely accused him of pedophilia.
Drake claimed that ‘Not Like Us’ contained defamatory claims, which UMG chose to release despite being aware of their false nature.
In response, a spokesperson for UMG dismissed Drake’s allegations as baseless and offensive.
“The suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue,” the statement read.
“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.”
Both Drake and Kendrick Lamar were long-standing artists under UMG’s umbrella, with Drake signed to Republic Records and Lamar to Interscope Records, both of which are owned by the music giant.
The legal battle came amid a history of tension between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, frequently exchanged subliminal disses in their music.
However, ‘Not Like Us’ escalated their feud to new heights, now entangling major industry players like UMG and Spotify in the controversy.
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