The feud between rappers Drake and Lamar intensifies as Drake now accuses UMG and Spotify of colluding to promote Lamar's track.
Rapper Drake has accused fellow artist Kendrick Lamar, Universal Music Group (UMG), and Spotify of colluding to promote Lamar's track while suppressing his own music. This claim is detailed in Drake's legal petition to the New York Supreme Court, as reported by UNN referencing The Verge.
Details
Drake asserts that Lamar's hit "Not Like Us" gained recognition through unfair competition due to shady business practices employed by Spotify.
He states that in 2024, UMG did not rely on chance or even standard business practices to break through on Spotify and likely other music platforms. Instead, they initiated a campaign to manipulate and saturate streaming services and broadcasts with the song "Not Like Us" to make it viral, including the use of "bots" and "pay-to-play" deals.
The petition also alleges that UMG offered Spotify a lower licensing rate for the song "Not Like Us" in exchange for the streaming platform recommending the track to listeners.
UMG has denied all allegations.
While some artists have indeed been caught using automated tools for profit, Spotify has a dedicated section on its website warning fans and artists to be cautious of "artificial" music streams.
This is not yet a full-fledged lawsuit; Drake's attorneys have only filed a preliminary petition requesting information, particularly documents and communications from UMG and Spotify regarding the song "Not Like Us."
Reminder
Instagram discovered advertising applications that generate unauthorized images of nudity using artificial intelligence. Meta quickly removed them after investigators alerted the social media corporation; however, AI-generated fakes may reappear repeatedly.