Drake has filed a lawsuit in Manhattan court, alleging that Universal Music Group and Spotify orchestrated a coordinated effort to manipulate the success of Kendrick Lamar‘s track “Not Like Us.”
According to reports, the filing by Drake’s Frozen Moments LLC claims the scheme relied on bots, payola, and other illicit tactics to inflate the song’s popularity—a move the rapper says was intended to escalate their ongoing feud after Lamar’s scathing lyrical attacks.
Drake issued a statement on behalf of his company: “UMG did not rely on chance, or even ordinary business practices.” “It instead launched a campaign to manipulate and saturate the streaming services and airwaves.”
Drake’s legal team has filed accusations against UMG, claiming violations of the federal RICO statute, traditionally associated with organized crime cases. They also charge the label with deceptive practices and false advertising under New York state law. The court filings mark a surprising escalation in the ongoing feud between the two artists, a rivalry that recently played out through biting diss tracks. The shift from a personal conflict to business litigation is an unexpected turn in the hip-hop world, where such disputes rarely reach the courtroom.
Drake, UMG Face Off Over Streaming Fraud
This dispute highlights a major break between Drake and UMG, a key partner throughout his career, first with Lil Wayne’s Young Money imprint via Republic and later as a direct signee. Meanwhile, Kendrick Lamar has stayed with UMG from the start, first through TDE’s Interscope distribution and more recently with his pgLang venture, also licensed through Interscope.
Furthermore, Monday’s filing isn’t a formal lawsuit yet; it’s a “pre-action” petition under New York law, designed to gather crucial information before initiating legal action.
Drake’s legal team argues that UMG orchestrated a widespread scheme to manipulate streaming numbers for “Not Like Us.” They allege that the label struck a deal with Spotify, offering significantly lower licensing fees in return for promoting the track to users searching for unrelated artists. Further accusations include UMG paying influencers to push the song on social media and deploying bots to artificially inflate its streams.
Drake’s legal team stated, “UMG … conspired with and paid currently unknown parties to use ‘bots’ to artificially inflate the spread of ‘Not Like Us’ and deceive consumers into believing the song was more popular than it was in reality.” According to Drake’s lawyers, the move stemmed from the complex power structures within UMG and Interscope, where executive bonuses are tied more to the success of individual divisions than to the broader performance of the label as a whole.
The rapper’s attorneys said, “UMG’s schemes … were motivated, at least in part, by the desire of executives at Interscope to maximize their own profits.” “Executives at Interscope have been incentivized to maximize the financial success of Interscope through the promotion of ‘Not Like Us’ and its revitalizing impact on the artist’s prior recording catalog.”
His lawyers allege that he approached UMG privately to address the matter before escalating to court, accusing the music titan of dismissing accountability and instead covering its tracks. According to his claims, this included terminating employees seen as aligning with his interests. The suit states, “Drake has repeatedly sought to engage UMG in discussions to resolve the ongoing harm he has suffered as a result of UMG’s actions.” “UMG refused to engage in negotiations, and insisted that UMG is not responsible for its own actions.”
Additionally, Drake alleges that UMG shifted blame onto Kendrick, urging him to target his rival in court instead of the label. According to Drake, UMG even hinted they would take legal action against Kendrick if he proceeded with his own lawsuit.
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