Drake Initiates Legal Action Against Universal Music Over Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” Streaming Figures

Rapper Drake has initiated legal proceedings against Universal Music, alleging that the record label artificially inflated the streaming numbers for Kendrick Lamar’s diss track, “Not Like Us,” which was directed at Drake. Documents submitted in New York by Drake’s company, Frozen Moments LLC, claim that Universal and the streaming platform Spotify participated in an unlawful “scheme” utilizing bots, payola, and other tactics to promote Lamar’s track. Drake’s legal representatives asserted that Universal Music ”did not rely on chance,” but rather “It instead launched a campaign to manipulate and saturate the streaming services and airwaves.” A spokesperson for Universal described these allegations as “offensive and untrue,” stating further that “fans choose the music they want to hear.” Neither Spotify nor Lamar has issued a response thus far. This petition is not a complete lawsuit but rather a “pre-action petition,” which allows Drake’s attorneys to request a court order for Universal and Spotify to retain all pertinent documents and data in anticipation of subsequent legal proceedings. The BBC comprehends that this action is primarily directed at Universal, with Spotify included due to the belief that it may possess information relevant to a potential lawsuit. “Not Like Us” was largely perceived as the conclusive strike in the intensifying rap rivalry between Drake and Lamar earlier this year. Drake’s legal submission emphasizes the track’s significant success—achieving 96 million streams within seven days, reaching number one on the US charts, and becoming a top 10 radio hit—but implies that these accomplishments were artificially boosted. His legal team asserts that Universal “conspired with and paid currently unknown parties” to “artificially” enhance the visibility of “Not Like Us.” They further contend that the label reduced its royalty rates for the song by 30% in return for Spotify promoting it to its user base. The submission additionally references alleged statements from a “whistleblower” featured on a podcast, who claimed to have received $2,500 to configure software “bots” designed to repeatedly stream the song, thereby transforming it into “a crazy hit.” Drake’s lawyers contend that this initiative extended to other streaming platforms, citing online reports indicating that users requesting Drake’s album *Certified Loverboy* from Apple’s voice assistant were instead provided with “Not Like Us.” This legal submission serves as an unexpected conclusion to the artists’ dispute and signifies a division between Drake and Universal, the label that has managed his career throughout. According to court records, the artist’s legal counsel states that Drake attempted to resolve these accusations privately, but the label demonstrated “no interest in taking responsibility for its misconduct.” Moreover, they assert that Universal undertook “an apparent effort to conceal its schemes,” which involved dismissing employees “perceived as having loyalty to Drake.” “Streaming is a zero-sum game,” his lawyers contend, adding, “Every time a song breaks through, it means another artist does not.” Consequently, they allege that Drake experienced “economic harm” to Lamar’s benefit. A Universal spokesperson refuted these claims, stating, “The suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue.” The statement continued, “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 legal document was filed mere days after Lamar launched a surprise album, *GNX*, which is largely considered a continuation of “Not Like Us.” Lamar’s diss track recently received four Grammy award nominations, among them Song of the Year, and he is scheduled to perform at next year’s Super Bowl halftime show. Nevertheless, he trails Drake in overall popularity. On Spotify, Lamar ranks as the 23rd most-streamed artist globally, whereas Drake holds the 13th position.