Drake has initiated legal action against Universal Music Group (UMG) and Spotify, alleging that the two companies conspired to “illegally” boost streams of Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’. In a filing made in Manhattan court by Drake’s Frozen Moments LLC, the company accuses UMG of using bots, undisclosed payments, and biased recommendations to inflate the song’s popularity.
“UMG did not rely on chance, or even ordinary business practices,” attorneys for Drake’s company wrote. “It instead launched a campaign to manipulate and saturate the streaming services and airwaves.”
In their “pre-action” petition, Drake’s attorneys claim that UMG violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), engaged in deceptive pay-to-play practices, and used false advertising under New York state law. They are seeking extensive documentation from UMG and Spotify, including proof of payment or reduced licensing fees exchanged for promoting ‘Not Like Us’. They allege that UMG charged Spotify lower licensing rates in exchange for the platform recommending the song to users who had searched for “unrelated songs and artists,” paid influencers to boost the song on social media, and hired teams of bots to increase the numbers.
There’s also a claim that UMG paid Apple Inc. to have Siri “purposely misdirect” Siri users to ‘Not Like Us’ when they requested Drake’s album Certified Lover Boy. “Online sources reported that when users asked Siri to play the album ‘Certified Lover Boy’ by [Drake], Siri instead played ‘Not Like Us,’ which contains the lyric ‘certified pedophile,’ an allegation against Drake,” the rapper’s lawyers wrote.
“UMG’s schemes … were motivated, at least in part, by the desire of executives at Interscope to maximize their own profits,” Drake’s attorneys wrote. “Executives at Interscope have been incentivized to maximize the financial success of Interscope through the promotion of ‘Not Like Us’ and its revitalizing impact on the artist’s prior recording catalog.”
“Drake has repeatedly sought to engage UMG in discussions to resolve the ongoing harm he has suffered as a result of UMG’s actions,” the filing continues. “UMG refused to engage in negotiations, and insisted that UMG is not responsible for its own actions.”
A Universal Music Group spokesperson denied Drake’s allegations in a statement, writing: “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.”
This past Friday, Lamar surprise released a new album called GNX.
