Drake files petition, claiming Universal boosted streams of Kendrick Lamar’s song
Drake has initiated legal action against Universal Music. Accusing the label of artificially inflating the streams for Kendrick Lamar’s diss track, Not Like Us. The legal battle centers around claims that Universal and Spotify used illegal tactics. Including bots, payola, and other manipulative methods, to promote Lamar’s song at Drake’s expense.
In a petition filed in New York, Drake’s company, Frozen Moments LLC, alleges that Universal Music did not rely on organic promotion or fan support for the success of Not Like Us. Instead, the petition claims that Universal intentionally launched a campaign aimed at manipulating streaming platforms and the airwaves to boost Lamar’s track. Drake’s lawyers assert that the campaign involved sophisticated techniques to artificially drive the song’s popularity and ensure it outperformed other music in the competitive rap scene.
Universal Music, however, has strongly denied the accusations, calling them “offensive and untrue.” A spokesperson for the label rejected any suggestion of misconduct. Adding that “fans choose the music they want to hear” and implying that the success of Not Like Us was the result of the public’s genuine interest in the song, rather than any outside manipulation. Neither Kendrick Lamar nor Spotify have provided a public response to the allegations as of yet.
Drake filed a legal document known as a “pre-action petition.” This petition allows his lawyers to request the court to order Universal and Spotify to retain all relevant documents and information for a potential future lawsuit. By taking this proactive step, Drake aims to ensure that key evidence is preserved. The petition primarily targets Universal Music, while Spotify is included because it might possess critical information supporting Drake’s claims.
The song Not Like Us has been widely recognized as a turning point in the ongoing feud between Drake and Lamar, which became public earlier in the year. The track saw explosive success, amassing 96 million streams in just seven days, reaching number one on the US charts, and securing a spot in the top 10 of radio airplay. Despite its commercial success, Drake’s legal team argues that these achievements were not entirely due to natural listener demand. Instead, they suggest that Universal Music orchestrated an extensive campaign to inflate the song’s numbers and position it as a major hit.
One of the key claims in Drake’s petition is that Universal conspired with “currently unknown parties” to boost the song’s visibility and stream count. According to the legal filing, Universal allegedly agreed to reduce the royalty rates for Not Like Us by 30%, in exchange for Spotify recommending the song to its users in a way that would amplify its reach. This kind of arrangement, according to Drake’s team, is a violation of fair business practices and compromises the integrity of the music industry’s streaming systems.
In addition to these claims, the petition also references a whistleblower who allegedly spoke out on a podcast about being paid $2,500 to set up software bots that would continuously stream Not Like Us, turning it into an “overnight hit.” The whistleblower’s testimony is presented as evidence of a larger scheme involving automated systems used to artificially boost the song’s presence across multiple platforms, including Spotify and other streaming services.
The petition further alleges that the artificial promotion of Lamar’s track even spread to other digital services. One example provided by Drake’s lawyers involves fans asking Apple’s voice assistant to play Drake’s album Certified Loverboy, only to have Not Like Us mistakenly played instead. This, they argue, shows how far-reaching and deliberate the efforts to promote Lamar’s song were, as the manipulation allegedly extended beyond Spotify to influence other streaming services.
Drake’s decision to file a legal petition against Universal Music represents a significant shift in his relationship with the label, which has been responsible for representing him throughout his entire career. According to the legal documents, Drake made several attempts to address his concerns with Universal privately. However, the petition claims that the label showed no interest in taking responsibility for its actions, and instead, they actively tried to conceal the methods they used to promote Lamar’s song.
One of the more shocking allegations in the legal filing is that Universal made efforts to remove or “fire” staff members who were perceived to be loyal to Drake. The petition claims that Universal sought to distance itself from anyone who may have been sympathetic to Drake’s position and was trying to prevent the public from learning about the alleged manipulative tactics. The legal team argues that this was an attempt to cover up the “schemes” and prevent any fallout from the increasing scrutiny over the way Lamar’s song was promoted.
Drake’s lawyers also argue that the streaming wars in the music industry are “a zero-sum game,” meaning that every time one song rises to prominence, it means another artist’s music is pushed out of the spotlight. As a result, they contend, the artificial success of Not Like Us harmed Drake economically by depriving him of the opportunity to achieve greater recognition and royalties, particularly from the success of Certified Loverboy and his own chart-topping singles.
Universal Music has firmly rejected all the claims made by Drake in his petition. A spokesperson for the label issued a statement calling the allegations “absurd” and emphasized that the company operates under the highest ethical standards in its marketing and promotional practices. Universal insisted that “fans choose the music they want to hear” and that no amount of legal maneuvering could change the fact that the popularity of Not Like Us was driven by genuine listener demand.
This legal battle comes just days after Lamar released a surprise album, GNX, which is widely believed to be a direct follow-up to Not Like Us. The timing of the album’s release and the ongoing feud between Drake and Lamar has kept the music world buzzing, especially since Not Like Us was recently nominated for four Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year. Lamar’s career also continues to gain momentum, with an upcoming performance at the Super Bowl halftime show scheduled for next year.
However, despite these successes, Lamar still lags behind Drake in terms of popularity. On Spotify, Lamar ranks as the 23rd most-streamed artist worldwide, while Drake is ranked 13th, a significant lead in the global music streaming race. It remains to be seen how this legal action will impact both artists’ futures, but it has certainly added another layer of drama to an already intense rivalry.
