Drake and Kendrick Lamar have been locked in one of the most intense musical feuds of the year, trading diss tracks filled with harsh accusations. The drama even escalated to a shooting at Drake’s mansion in Canada. In the end, the numbers seemed to favor Lamar, with his track ‘Not Like Us’ breaking records. The song stirred up major controversy, accusing Drake of pedophilia and cultural appropriation.
Drake, however, isn’t letting this slide. He’s accused Universal Music Group (UMG) and Spotify of artificially boosting Lamar’s song. He has also brought in his legal team to investigate what he believes are unfair practices.
On Monday, Drake’s legal team, Frozen Moments LLC, filed a lawsuit in a Manhattan court. The suit claims that UMG inflated streaming numbers for ‘Not Like Us’ to maximize profits, with Spotify allegedly using tactics like “bots and pay-for-play agreements” to push the song.
The lawsuit also alleges that UMG offered ‘Not Like Us’ to Spotify at reduced licensing rates and manipulated streaming platforms, including Apple’s Siri, to give Lamar an advantage. According to the claim, when users asked Siri to play Drake’s Certified Lover Boy album, the assistant would instead play Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us,’ giving Lamar an unfair edge.
They also claim that UMG paid influencers to promote the song on social media, making it seem more popular than it actually was.
UMG has strongly denied the accusations, calling them “offensive and false” in a statement to Sky News. “We employ the highest ethical practices in our marketing and promotional campaigns,” the company said. “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,” they added.
At the same time, the discussion has moved to social media, where many are questioning Drake’s latest actions. Some fans are wondering why he’s focusing on streaming platforms rather than addressing the serious claims Kendrick Lamar has made against him.
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