Drake sues Universal Music Group over Lamar’s Not Like Us
In a filing submitted by Drake’s company, Frozen Moments LLC, to a New York court, allegations were made against Universal and Spotify for orchestrating an illegal scheme.
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Drake has initiated legal action against Universal Music Group, accusing the label of manipulating streams to boost Kendrick Lamar’s diss track, Not Like Us, aimed at him.
In a filing submitted by Drake’s company, Frozen Moments LLC, to a New York court, allegations were made against Universal and Spotify for orchestrating an illegal scheme.
The claims include using bots, payola, and other tactics to inflate the song's popularity artificially. According to Drake's legal team, Universal’s promotional strategy was deliberate and involved saturating streaming platforms with the track.
Universal has refuted the accusations, calling them “offensive and baseless” and insisting, “Fans decide what music they want to listen to.” Neither Kendrick Lamar nor Spotify has commented on the matter.
This legal move, classified as a "pre-action petition," allows Drake’s team to request the court preserve documents and evidence related to the allegations. While not a full lawsuit, it signals the potential for further legal action. Sources suggest the petition primarily targets Universal, with Spotify included to obtain relevant data for the case.
Not Like Us, released earlier this year, was seen as a critical escalation in the ongoing rivalry between Drake and Lamar.
The song achieved significant commercial success, with 96 million streams in its first week, topping the U.S. charts and securing a spot in the top 10 radio hits. Drake’s filing, however, suggests these milestones were achieved through artificial means.
The rapper’s lawyers allege that Universal "collaborated with undisclosed parties" to inflate the track’s streaming numbers and visibility.
They claim the label reduced royalties for the track by 30% to incentivize Spotify to promote it. The filing also references a supposed “whistleblower” who, during a podcast interview, revealed being paid $2,500 to deploy bots that repeatedly streamed the track to boost its numbers.
Further allegations suggest the manipulation extended to other platforms. According to online reports cited in the filing, users who asked Apple’s Siri to play Drake’s album Certified Loverboy were instead directed to Not Like Us.
Drake’s legal challenge marks a significant rift with Universal, the label that has supported his career since the beginning. His lawyers claim efforts to resolve the matter privately were met with resistance, accusing Universal of attempting to cover up its actions by dismissing employees seen as aligned with Drake.