Drake claims UMG and Spotify 'bloated' Kendrick Lamar's 'Not Like Us'

Drake has accused Universal Music Group (UMG) of conspiring to inflate Kendrick Lamar's diss track about the rapper, “Not Like Us,” upon its release.

In Monday's filing, Frozen Moments, Drake's company, accused UMG of having a “plan” with bots and payola to boost the song while the two artists were feuding, according to a filing obtained by Rolling Stone. The filing is not yet a trial, but a “pre-action disclosure” for informational purposes. Drake is also signed to UMG through Republic Records.

“UMG did not rely on chance, or even ordinary business practices,” lawyers for Drake's company wrote in the complaint filed Monday, accusing UMG of false advertising, deceptive business practices and violations of the RICO Act. “Instead, he launched a campaign to manipulate and saturate streaming services and the airwaves. »

The filing claims that UMG “conspired and paid currently unknown parties” to “artificially inflate” the airplay of “Not Like Us.” The filing cited alleged claims from a “whistleblower” on a podcast that they were paid to boost the song once it was released.

Despite the accusations about Spotify, Drake has 10 million more monthly listeners on the platform than Lamar, even after the release of GNX. Lamar is the 23rd most listened to artist on the platform, 10 places behind the Canadian rapper, who occupies 13th place.

“The whistleblower described Spotify as the easiest platform to use because it does not have, like other streaming platforms, certain security measures to protect against bots,” the filing claims. “The whistleblower further disclosed that on May 6, 2024, an individual affiliated with Interscope sent him a payment of $2,500 through digital payment platform Zelle.”

The petition also alleges that UMG paid Apple to have Siri “deliberately direct users” to Drake's diss track, citing a Vibe article that claimed Lamar's song would play when Siri was asked to play Certified Loverboy.

Drake's lawyers also write that Lamar's label paid social media influencers to “promote and endorse” the song without “disclosing the payment.” The lawyers further claim, without citing sources, that UMG workers who are “perceived to be loyal to Drake” have been fired from the company. Editors' Choice

A representative for Spotify did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone's request for comment. A UMG spokesperson denied Drake's allegations.

“The suggestion that UMG would do anything to harm one of its artists is offensive and false,” the UMG spokesperson said. “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 obscure the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear.

The legal filing comes just days after Lamar released his “Not Like Us” follow-up album, GNX, on Friday. He also released the video for “Squabble Up” on Monday. (The dissident track is up for numerous Grammys.)

Last Friday, UMG responded to Fred Durst's fraud lawsuit by claiming the Limp Bizkit frontman's allegations against the company were “based on error.” The company requested that the case be dismissed. “Plaintiffs’ entire story that UMG attempted to conceal royalties is fiction,” the company said in its motion Friday.

Durst originally said the record company had “designed and implemented software and royalty schemes deliberately designed to conceal artists' royalties and keep those profits for itself.”

This article was updated on November 25, 2024 at 7:34 p.m. ET to include a statement from a Universal Music Group spokesperson.

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