Drake has filed lawsuits against Universal Music Group (UMG) and Spotify, accusing them of conspiring to artificially inflate the streams of Kendrick Lamar’s diss track, Not Like Us.
In a petition filed with the New York Supreme Court on Monday, Frozen Moments LLC, Drake’s company, alleged that UMG and Spotify used bots, payola, and other illicit tactics to boost Lamar’s song while hindering Drake’s own releases.
“UMG did not rely on chance, or even ordinary business practices,” the filing stated.
“It instead launched a campaign to manipulate and saturate the streaming services and airwaves.”
The diss track reportedly garnered 96 million streams in its first week, climbed to number one on the U.S. charts, and became a top-10 radio hit. The lawsuit claims that the song was licensed to Spotify at a 30% discount in exchange for preferential promotional treatment, including boosts in user recommendations.
In a separate defamation lawsuit filed in Texas, Drake accused UMG of knowingly distributing Not Like Us, which allegedly contains false claims of pedophilia against him.
A UMG spokesperson has dismissed the allegations as baseless.
“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.”
Both Drake and Lamar are long-standing UMG-affiliated artists, with Drake signed to Republic Records and Lamar to Interscope, both under UMG’s umbrella. This legal battle marks a significant escalation in the rivalry between the two artists and raises concerns about the role of streaming platforms in fueling competition in the music industry.
Comments
Loading…