Drake has escalated his ongoing feud with Kendrick Lamar by filing a legal petition against Universal Music Group (UMG) and Spotify.
The lawsuit alleges a conspiracy to artificially inflate the streaming numbers of Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us,” which has accumulated over 900 million streams since its May release.
Universal Music Group swiftly responded to the accusations, vehemently denying Drake’s claims. The music giant labeled the allegations as “offensive and untrue,” emphasizing their commitment to ethical marketing practices.
UMG argued that music fans ultimately choose the content they consume, suggesting that the track’s popularity is genuine.
The legal filing, submitted by Drake’s company Frozen Moments LLC in a New York court, claims that UMG used bots and payola tactics to manipulate the song’s visibility.
This move represents a dramatic escalation of the long-standing rivalry between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, transforming their artistic competition into a high-stakes legal battle.
The music industry is closely watching this unprecedented confrontation, which highlights the complex dynamics of streaming popularity and artist competition in the digital music landscape.
