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In the latest twist in the ongoing feud between the two hip-hop heavyweights, the Canadian rapper has filed a lawsuit against Universal Music Group, accusing the company of using Spotify to artificially boost the popularity of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.”
This was seemingly a surprising move pulled by Drake as UMG distributes both artists’ recordings.
In a court filing on Monday in Manhattan, Drake’s Frozen Moments LLC accused UMG of orchestrating an illegal “scheme” involving bots, payola, and other tactics to inflate the numbers for Lamar’s viciously personal song, which attacks Drake with accusations of pedophilia and further fuels their ongoing feud.
The petition claims that UMG “engaged in conduct designed to artificially inflate the popularity of ‘Not Like Us’… including by licensing the song at drastically reduced rates to Spotify and using ‘bots’ to generate the false impression that the song was more popular than it was in reality.”
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Several hours after the news broke, a UMG rep responded, “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.“
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Although other streaming platforms are not mentioned in the petition, it does allege that “UMG appears to have used similar tactics with other streaming services. On information and belief, UMG paid, or approved payments to, Apple Inc. to have its voice-activated digital assistant ‘Siri’ purposely misdirect users to ‘Not Like Us.’”
“UMG did not rely on chance or even ordinary business practices,” the petition continues, per Variety. “It instead launched a campaign to manipulate and saturate the streaming services and airwaves.”
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Drake’s attorneys urge that UMG violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, which is often used in criminal cases against organized crime (and was deployed to convict R. Kelly of sexual misconduct and other crimes in 2021).
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They also accused the company of deceptive business practices and false advertising under New York state law.
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However, according to Billboard, Monday’s filing is not yet a lawsuit but a “pre-action” petition, a procedure under New York law that aims to secure information before filing a lawsuit.
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