Rapper Files Petition Claiming UMG Manipulated Streaming Services to Make Lamar’s Diss Track Go Vira
Drake is taking his longstanding feud with Kendrick Lamar to the courtroom, filing a petition that accuses Universal Music Group (UMG), the label behind both artists, of orchestrating a payola scheme to make Lamar’s diss track, “Not Like Us,” go viral. The Toronto rapper’s petition, filed on Monday, alleges that UMG manipulated streaming services, including Spotify and Apple, to boost the track’s visibility and influence its popularity.
According to the filing, Drake’s company, Frozen Moments LLC, claims that UMG paid Spotify to push “Not Like Us” to users who were searching for other songs or artists, effectively saturating the platform with the track. The petition further alleges that UMG made an arrangement with Apple to have Siri misdirect users who asked for Drake’s music to instead play Lamar’s song.
The legal documents also accuse the label of using bots and “pay-to-play agreements” to create the illusion of widespread popularity for the song, despite its true popularity being inflated through these covert means. As a result, “Not Like Us” quickly became a chart-topping success, marking Lamar’s first solo No. 1 debut on the Billboard Hot 100 and earning five Grammy nominations, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
However, it’s not the song’s success or its controversial lyrics that Drake is targeting in his lawsuit, but rather the alleged manipulation behind it. The track, which came as part of a rap battle between the two megastars, includes harsh lyrics where Lamar accuses Drake of inappropriate relations with minors and labels his crew, OVO, as “certified pedophiles.” While the lyric itself has stirred plenty of controversy, Drake is more concerned with how the track was propelled to viral status.
The petition claims that when users asked Siri to play Drake’s 2021 album, they were instead redirected to “Not Like Us,” along with its disturbing “certified pedophile” lyric. Additionally, Drake alleges that UMG paid social media influencers to promote the song, with financial arrangements kept under wraps, and that the label took steps to hide its involvement by firing employees perceived to be loyal to Drake.
“Not Like Us” became Lamar’s fourth No. 1 hit and saw record-breaking streams, many of which surpassed records once held by Drake himself. The song’s success also led to a resurgence in sales of Lamar’s back catalog, which Drake claims directly impacted his own career and financial gains.
In the filing, Drake asserts that UMG favored Lamar over him, driving the success of “Not Like Us” in a way that undermined his own music. The rapper’s petition reveals a deep sense of frustration, claiming that UMG has “refused to engage” with him on the matter and instead advised him to take legal action against Lamar.
A spokesperson for Universal Music Group responded to the claims, stating, “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.”
Drake’s legal challenge could have wide-reaching implications for the music industry, especially with regard to transparency and ethics in marketing and promotional campaigns. As the feud between two of the biggest names in hip-hop continues, the legal battle may reveal just how much influence record labels exert over the success of music in the streaming era.
