Drake has withdrawn a legal petition accusing Universal Music Group (UMG) and Spotify of manipulating the popularity of Kendrick Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us.”
The song, which dominated charts in early 2024, marked a peak in the rappers’ public feud.
Allegations of Manipulation
Drake’s legal team alleged that UMG used bots, influencer payments, and radio deals to inflate the track’s success.
The petition also accused Spotify of prioritizing the song over Drake’s own releases and claimed UMG paid Apple to misdirect Siri queries to the track. UMG dismissed these claims as “contrived and absurd.”
Petition Withdrawal
Court documents show Drake voluntarily discontinued the petition, stating:
“Petitioner hereby voluntarily discontinues this special proceeding as to all respondents without costs to any party.”
However, a separate petition in Texas, alleging UMG allowed the release of “Not Like Us” despite defamatory content, remains active.
Fallout of the Feud
“Not Like Us,” which labeled Drake a “colonizer” and included unproven accusations, became a streaming phenomenon.
While Lamar emerged as the feud’s perceived victor, Drake has released limited music since. His recent freestyle “Fighting Irish” addresses the fallout, including themes of betrayal and loyalty.
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