Drake Accuses Universal and Spotify of Inflating Kendrick Lamar Diss Track ‘Not Like Us’

The feud between hip-hop titans Drake and Kendrick Lamar has taken a dramatic turn, as Drake’s company, Frozen Moments LLC, filed a legal petition on Monday in New York. The filing accuses Universal Music Group (UMG) and Spotify of conspiring to artificially boost the popularity of Lamar’s track “Not Like Us”, a song containing scathing lyrics aimed at Drake.

The legal action demands that Universal and Spotify preserve evidence for a potential lawsuit, alleging unethical promotional practices to inflate the song’s streaming numbers and undermine Drake’s position in the music industry.

Key Allegations Against UMG and Spotify

Drake’s petition accuses UMG of:

• Launching a campaign to manipulate streaming platforms using bots and pay-to-play agreements.
• Saturating airwaves to make “Not Like Us” viral.
• Offering special licensing deals to Spotify for promoting the track.
• Firing employees perceived as loyal to Drake to conceal their alleged schemes.

UMG has denied the accusations, calling them “offensive and untrue.” In a statement, the company said:

“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.”

Spotify has yet to comment on the current case but has previously stated that it invests heavily in preventing artificial streaming.

The Song Behind the Feud: “Not Like Us”

Released in May, Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” gained massive traction, amassing over 900 million streams on Spotify. The song features sharp, controversial lyrics such as:

“Say, Drake, I hear you like ’em young, You better not ever go to cell block one.”

This track came during a period of escalating tension between the two artists, who have a long history of public jabs and diss tracks.

Drake vs. Lamar: A Long-Running Feud

The rivalry between Drake, a 38-year-old Canadian rapper and five-time Grammy winner, and Kendrick Lamar, a 37-year-old Pulitzer Prize recipient, is one of hip-hop’s fiercest rivalries in recent years.

• The two were collaborators over a decade ago, but tensions arose in 2013 when Lamar began targeting Drake in his lyrics.
• The feud escalated earlier this year, culminating in dueling diss tracks, with “Not Like Us” emerging as a centerpiece.

Industry Implications of the Legal Move

This petition marks a major escalation in the feud, extending beyond the artists to their business partners, including two of the music industry’s biggest players, UMG and Spotify. If proven, the allegations could have far-reaching implications for how streaming data and promotional practices are regulated in the music industry.

While the feud continues to dominate headlines, fans and critics alike are left wondering: Is this a legitimate fight for fairness in the industry or just the next chapter in a high-stakes hip-hop rivalry?