Drake Accuses UMG & Spotify of Artificially Inflating Kendrick’s ‘Not Like Us’; UMG Responds

The beef between Kendrick Lamar and Drake just got messier, with the latter initiating legal action against UMG and Spotify for allegedly colluding to take part in artificial streaming for the global smash ‘Not Like Us’.

‘Not Like Us’, like we all know, was a diss song aimed at Drake that became a number 1 hit worldwide. Given that UMG distributes both artists’ music, this lawsuit becomes even more interesting. In a filing Monday (Nov. 25) in Manhattan court, Drake’s Frozen Moments LLC accused UMG of launching an illegal “scheme” involving bots, payola and other methods to boost Kendrick’s song.

“UMG did not rely on chance, or even ordinary business practices,” attorneys for Drake’s company write. “It instead launched a campaign to manipulate and saturate the streaming services and airwaves.” The petition, according to Billboard, claims that UMG “engaged in conduct designed to artificially inflate the popularity of ‘Not Like Us’… including by licensing the song at drastically reduced rates to Spotify and using ‘bots’ to generate the false impression that the song was more popular than it was in reality.”

UMG has already responded to the lawsuit, saying: “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.”

While other streaming services are not named, it does state that “UMG appears to have used similar tactics with other streaming services. On information and belief, UMG paid, or approved payments to, Apple Inc. to have its voice-activated digital assistant ‘Siri’ purposely misdirect users to ‘Not Like Us.’”

“UMG did not rely on chance, or even ordinary business practices,” the petition continues. “It instead launched a campaign to manipulate and saturate the streaming services and airwaves.”

Drake’s attorneys claim that UMG violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, which is often used in criminal cases against organized crime. They also allege UMG of deceptive business practices and false advertising under New York state law.

The news follows the surprise release of Kendrick Lamar’s new album GNX, which is dominating DSPs worldwide and set to debut at number 1 on Billboard 200.