The suit alleges Kendrick Lamar’s diss track ‘Not Like Us” was made more popular by manipulation.
American rapper Drake has taken legal action against the Universal Music Group (UMG) and streaming service Spotify for “inflating interest in Kendrick Lamar’s diss track, Not Like Us.
In a petition filed by Frozen Moments LLC, Drake’s company, the rapper alleges that UMG and the streaming service of launching “a campaign to manipulate and saturate the streaming services and airwaves”, using various tactics to make Lamar’s song more popular to the detriment of his own music.
Drake and Kendrick are both tied to UMG through their record labels. Drake via Republic Records and Lamar via Interscope; UMG owns both labels.
“UMG … conspired with and paid currently unknown parties to use ‘bots’ to artificially inflate the spread of Not Like Us and deceive consumers into believing the song was more popular than it was in reality,” the petition says.
In addition to bots, the petition also alleges that UMG paid influencers to promote Not Like Us on social media and set up pay-to-play agreements with radio stations.
However, UMG has denied those claims calling them absurd.
“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,” a spokesperson for UMG said.
Spotify have yet to respond.
Furthermore, Drake’s petition alleges that UMG reduced the licensing rates it charges Spotify in exchange for the streamer recommending Lamar’s track to its users even when they searched for unrelated songs or artists.
The petition also claims that UMG paid Apple to make its digital assistant Siri “purposely misdirect” users who asked to listen to Drake’s songs to instead stream Not Like Us.
The petition also alleges that UMG’s “scheme” led to Not Like Us being streamed 900m times, making it the most-streamed diss track in Spotify history.
The track holds Spotify records for the biggest single-day streams for a hip-hop song (12.8m) and the most song streams in a week by a rapper (81.2m).
Drake’s attorneys allege that “UMG’s schemes … were motivated, at least in part, by the desire of executives at Interscope to maximise their own profits”, and that the success of Not Like Us had led to a boost in streaming of Lamar’s back catalogue, which financially benefited UMG.
The petition claims Drake “repeatedly sought to engage UMG in discussions to resolve the ongoing harm he has suffered as a result of UMG’s actions” but claims that the music giant has “no interest in taking responsibility for its misconduct” and instead “pointed the finger” at Lamar, directing Drake to sue the rapper and not UMG.
Drake’s attorneys claim they had “received information that UMG has been taking steps in an apparent effort to conceal its schemes, including, but not limited to, by terminating employees associated with or perceived as having loyalty to Drake”.
They allege UMG violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act – a federal statute widely known as “Rico”, which is often used in criminal cases against organised crime – as well as deceptive business practices and false advertising.
Genesis of Drake and Lamar beef
Drake and Lamar’s feud dates back to 2013 when Lamar was a relative newcomer.
During a performance at the BET Awards, he boasted that his skills had “tucked a sensitive rapper back in his pyjama clothes”. The line was interpreted as a reference to Drake, whose soul-baring blend of rap and R&B had changed the sound of hip-hop.
The feud simmered for a few years, boiling over again last year when J Cole and Drake described themselves, along with Lamar, as the “big three” of rap, on the song “First Person Shooter”.
Lamar responded with a fiery verse on the song “Like That”, declaring that there was no “big three – it’s just big me”.
What followed was an escalated rape battle which included songs like Euphoria, Meet the Grahams and Not Like Us in which Lamar accused Drake of having sexual relationships with underage girls, as well as fathering secret children.
In response, Drake released tracks including Family Matters and The Heart Part 6, which accused Lamar of domestic abuse and infidelity, criticised his collaboration with Taylor Swift and mocked his height.
