Drake has filed legal documents accusing Universal Music Group and Spotify of coming together to fake the popularity of Kendrick Lamar‘s diss song against him, “Not Like Us.”
According to The Independent, Drizzy’s legal team filed a “pre-action” petition in a Manhattan court on Monday (November 25), alleging UMG used bots, payola and other methods to inflate the chart-topping song. This is not a lawsuit, but a step required by New York State to secure information before officially filing.
“UMG did not rely on chance, or even ordinary business practices,” the docs read. “It instead launched a campaign to manipulate and saturate the streaming services and airwaves.”
The filing also alleges that the label paid Spotify to promote “Not Like Us” to users searching for unrelated songs and artists. Additionally, it claims UMG paid Apple to have Siri intentionally redirect users requesting songs from Drake’s catalog, instead offering “Not Like Us” as a result. It also claims the company used bots to burnish the song’s numbers.
Drake is asking the court to order UMG and Spotify to gather all relevant documents ahead of a pending lawsuit.
According to the report, UMG has so far “refused to engage” over the issue – telling Drake to sue Kendrick instead.
While Kendrick has not yet responded, Top Dawg Entertainment’s Punch has seemingly addressed the filing, writing on X shortly after the news hit, “Naaaaaahhhh. The rap streets is done. SMH.”
UMG responded to Variety.
“The suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue,” a rep for the company told the publication. “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.”
The news comes just after Drake’s recent livestream where he took shots at several enemies, including Kendrick Lamar.
The 6 God appeared on Canadian streamer xQc’s Kick channel this past weekend where he began by jabbing his fierce rival Kendrick while introducing himself to viewers.
“I’m here — mind, body and soul fully intact, in case you were wondering. You need facts to take me out; fairytales won’t do it,” he said.
The defiant statement was a clear reference to claims in Kendrick’s various diss tracks about Drake behaving inappropriately with young girls, keeping the company of sexual predators and fathering a secret daughter.
The OVO Sound hitmaker also dissed Steve Lacy by calling him a “fragile” opp and told xQc to turn off The Weeknd‘s music when he began to play the singer’s 2016 hit “Starboy.”
Kendrick reacted to the stream in a text exchange with his friend Reli, who posted screenshots of the conversation on his Instagram Stories.
In the messages, Reli says to Kendrick: “You done turned blood into a streamer on Phillies [laughing face emojis],” to which the rapper replies with several laughing face emojis of his own.
Reli then says: “That’s a damn shame,” prompting Kendrick to ask: “He trippin??!”
Reli replies: “Blood don’t won’t [sic] no smoke Philly gang,” before censoring his next message.
I’ve been saying this shit all along! I work as an accountant for OVO and I know that drake’s numbers were real while kendrick relied on bots and taylor swift to artificially inflate his numbers
Drake is king of faking numbers. Every album review for his last 4 releases were all called trash, yet he thinks people are dumb enough to believe that many people are actually listening to said trash. Taylor probably doesn’t fake numbers, white girls love her. No one likes drake except closet gays.
No you don’t,🐓🍭. You’re just an obsessed gay group that licks Drake’s ass so much that he doesn’t use 🧻 anymore.
Sam Smith even thinks you’re gayer than him. That’s bad
Because kendrick was paying critics to trash drake and praise kendrick. No real hiphop head talks about kendrick anymore
You’re a sad angry little man
Im guessing the pop up concert and the video were also deep fakes. BBLDRIZZY would know as he is an A.I. rapper himself that relies on little girls, BBLGREGGY, and streaming farms.
He pays each fan to be in the video and concert.
No, he pays his chomo buddies to roll with him everywhere
Wow, what a sore loser. This is childish
Drake is gay and a crybaby
Yeah typical Jxwish move.
Gobble Up, fuckboi. Drake’s career is pretty much over.
His dogs album sold more than mr morales and the sales for gnx won’t come close to that either. Drake’s about to break 500k at least for his joint album with partynextdooe
Drake breaks almost all male groupie cheeks except yours
You sound stupid, Drake literally just set the record for the highest grossing tour for any rapper in rap history. # cry harder dummy
No he set the record for the gayest tour of any rapper. He’s supported big time by the 🌈 community who love supporting on of their own. That’s why it sold so much cuz gays and bitches love Drake.
I ate 3 Drizzy Dingleberry sandwiches for dinner tonight.. they were delicious
Drakes an absolute bitch lol
drake sues for the same practice he has benefited from his whole career. Too many L’s to count at this point.
wayment, Drake went to the law to tell that he got ran out of the summer?
Bro consulted with mommy first 😆
So….. in other words they did what they do to promote all of their music including Drake’s? Got it.
Lmao. Wow this is embarrassing. Every concert I’ve been to when the DJ drops this between sets the place goes nuts. LA Dodgers just used it as the theme to their World Series run. Degrassi needs to take his L.
This is the most light-skinned sht i’ve ever seen in my life.
hey dont lump us wit this cornball this clown wire blacc face foh
Cryrese canceled yall light skin argument lol
He’s still a pedo.
Drake 🤣🤣🤣 I always knew he was lame, but this is a new low. What a punk 🤣🤣🤣
This is the most bitch made move ever in the history of humanity. This just shows Drake doesn’t belong in Hip Hop culture. Basically this is like the Popular kid in high school going to teachers and principals to carry out a vendetta. Fucking lame as shit
I believe it. They did that so people stream only the old stuff they bought from Drake and no new music. Y’all clone bots, cogs in the wheel of T Swift and Kamala Harris
Yeah Corny af, but not like us did keep popping up when I was streaming and I don’t have any Kendrick songs liked or added added to my library
Yeah Corny af, but not like us did keep popping up when I was streaming and I don’t have any Kendrick songs liked or added added to my library
each album drake puts out $2 $3 $4 million in sales $$$ times have changed
Not a fan of either of them but this is possibly the biggest b*itch move in hip hop I’ve ever seen. Not to mention the absolute denial involved. Not Like Us definitely took over when it came out. In terms of taking an L, this really is undefendable. Although it’s funny watching the usual groupies in the comments try.
Get this Canadian clown outta here….he just pathetic at this point…get em gone
Get this Canadian clown outta here….he just pathetic at this point…get em gone
folks just gone end up shot dead over this and that’s all. Probably a few execs gone lose everything including their life. vest up. calling folks pedo means you are prepared to war forever. They aren’t we are, Watch and see. You will die, Come to Canada we will send you back in a box talking pedo lies I PROMISE YOU THAT INCLUDES YOUR STAFF
same idiots on here braying for benderick are the same idiots who think you get paid a million to play super bowl instead of PAYING a million to play
Change your name to Very Stupid…
Whoever does the gatekeeping really fucked up when they let this square ass white boy in the game. Dude has always been ass.
Whoever does the gatekeeping really fucked up when they let this square ass white boy in the game. Dude has always been ass.
Whoever’s in his corner is failing him.
Scared to grow it cuz his afro wouldnt nap enough.
lol someone is suing the corrupt music biz and yall making it all about drake dumb and sus.
Kendricks album was garbage