In an explosive development in the ongoing Drake-Kendrick Lamar rivalry, Drake has filed court documents alleging Universal Music Group (UMG) artificially boosted Lamar's recent diss track while suppressing his own music.
The Canadian rapper's petition, filed in New York State Supreme Court, claims UMG orchestrated an elaborate scheme involving bots and undisclosed pay-to-play arrangements to inflate streaming numbers for Lamar's "Not Like Us" - a track containing pointed accusations against Drake.
According to court documents, UMG allegedly employed multiple tactics, including:
- Using bot networks to generate 30 million initial Spotify streams
- Arranging preferential placement on streaming platforms
- Paying radio stations for increased airplay
- Compensating social media influencers for undisclosed promotions
The filing states these efforts resulted in nearly 900 million Spotify streams for "Not Like Us," making it the most-streamed diss track in the platform's history.
Drake's legal team argues UMG offered Spotify a 30% discount on licensing fees in exchange for promoting Lamar's track to users searching for unrelated content. The petition also alleges Apple's Siri was programmed to play "Not Like Us" when users requested Drake's music.
Most notably, Drake claims UMG has terminated employees perceived as loyal to him in an attempt to conceal these practices. The rapper's representatives emphasize that their issue lies with UMG's business practices rather than Lamar himself.
UMG and Spotify have declined to comment on the allegations. Drake is pursuing legal action under the RICO Act and New York state business laws, seeking preservation of evidence for an upcoming lawsuit.
The dispute adds another layer to an already intense musical rivalry between two of hip-hop's biggest stars, while raising questions about transparency in music industry streaming practices.
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