Drake Accuses Spotify and UMG of Inflating Kendrick Lamar’s Streams

Drake’s company, Frozen Moments, has filed a petition in a New York court accusing Spotify and Universal Music Group (UMG) of manipulating the streaming numbers for Kendrick Lamar’s hit song, “Not Like Us.” The legal filing, submitted on November 25, claims that UMG orchestrated a scheme to artificially boost the track’s popularity during a heated rivalry between Drake and Lamar.

Allegations of Stream Manipulation and Fraudulent Practices

“Not Like Us,” a diss track that broke records on the Billboard rap charts, remained at the top for much of the summer. However, according to the filing, Frozen Moments alleges that UMG launched a campaign to inflate the song’s streams by using bots, pay-for-play agreements, and a significant discount when licensing the track to Spotify. The petition further claims that UMG paid for increased radio play and even worked with Apple to misdirect users to Lamar’s song via Siri.

Drake’s team contends that these actions were intended to saturate streaming platforms and airwaves with “Not Like Us,” resulting in over 900 million streams on Spotify alone. In response, a spokesperson for UMG dismissed the allegations, labeling them as “offensive and untrue” while asserting the company follows “the highest ethical practices” in its promotional efforts.

While this petition is not a lawsuit, it serves as a pre-action motion to gather information for a potential civil claim under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). This legal step comes amidst ongoing tensions between the two artists, with Lamar referencing the feud on his recent album, “GNX.” The outcome of this case could have significant implications for the music industry, shedding light on the ethical practices surrounding streaming services and promotional campaigns.