Drake files lawsuit over Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us

Drake has launched ineligible enactment against Universal Music and Spotify, accusing them of artificially boosting streams of Kendrick Lamar’s diss way against him, Not Like Us.

In papers filed successful New York, Drake’s company, Frozen Moments LLC, accused the companies of engaging successful an amerciable ”scheme” involving bots, payola and different methods to beforehand Lamar’s song.

Universal Music ”did not trust connected chance,” Drake’s lawyers alleged. “It alternatively launched a run to manipulate and saturate the streaming services and airwaves.”

A spokesperson for Universal called the claims “offensive and untrue”, adding that “fans take the euphony they privation to hear”.

Spotify and Lamar person yet to respond.

The petition is not a afloat suit but a alleged “pre-action petition”, nether which Drake’s lawyers tin to inquire the tribunal to bid Universal and Spotify to sphere each applicable documents and information, up of aboriginal ineligible action.

Not Like Us was wide seen arsenic the decisive stroke successful an escalating rap beef betwixt Drake and Lamar earlier this year.

Drake’s tribunal filing highlights the song’s runaway occurrence - 96 cardinal streams successful 7 days, fig 1 successful the US charts, and a apical 10 vigor deed - but suggests those achievements were artificially inflated.

His lawyers assertion that Universal “conspired with and paid presently chartless parties” to “artificially” boost the prominence of Not Like Us.

They allege that the statement chopped its royalty rates for the opus by 30%, successful speech for Spotify recommending it to users.

The filing besides cites expected claims from a “whistleblower” connected a podcast, who said they were paid $2,500 to acceptable up bundle ”bots” that would watercourse the opus connected repeat, turning it into “a brainsick hit”.

The effort dispersed to different streaming services, Drake’s lawyers allege, referencing online reports that fans who asked Apple’s dependable adjunct to play Drake’s medium Certified Loverboy were alternatively delivered Not Like Us.

The ineligible filing is simply a astonishing coda to the musicians’ feud, but it besides represents a rift betwixt Drake and Universal - the statement that has represented him for his full career.

In tribunal documents, the star’s lawyers accidental helium tried to code these allegations successful backstage but that the statement has “no involvement successful taking work for its misconduct.”

Furthermore, they assertion Universal made “an evident effort to conceal its schemes”, which included firing unit “perceived arsenic having loyalty to Drake”.

“Streaming is simply a zero-sum game,” they argue. “Every clip a opus breaks through, it means different creator does not.” As a result, they claim, Drake suffered “economic harm” astatine Lamar’s expense.

A spokesperson for Universal rejected the claims.

“The proposition that UMG would bash thing to undermine immoderate of its artists is violative and untrue,” they said successful a statement.

“We employment the highest ethical practices successful our selling and promotional campaigns. No magnitude of contrived and absurd ineligible arguments successful this pre-action submission tin disguise the information that fans take the euphony they privation to hear.”

The ineligible filing came days aft Lamar released a astonishment album, GNX, which is wide seen arsenic a follow-up to Not Like Us.

His diss way was precocious nominated for 4 Grammy awards, including opus of the year, and helium has been booked to play adjacent year’s Super Bowl halftime show.

However, helium lags down Drake successful presumption of popularity. On Spotify, the rapper is the 23rd most-streamed creator successful the world, portion Drake places 13th.