Drake Sues Universal Music, Spotify for Alleged Scheme to Increase Kendrick Lamar’s Song

Drake is suing Universal Music Group over Spotify 'bot' and 'botbot' deception for artificially boosting the credit of Kendrick Lamar's 'Not Like Us'.

In a surprisingly sour turn, Drake has sued Universal Music Group (UMG) and Spotify. The complaint lodged in the Manhattan court states that both companies conspired for the sole purpose of misleading how Kendrick Lamar's song "Not Like Us" became a hit.

Drake's Frozen Moments LLC has stated that a complaint filed in Manhattan court on November 25, which states that UMG used illegal means, including high-profile botting and payola, to inflate the stream count of the track, which essentially disagrees with Drake in what has been a long-established feud. It alleges that the manipulation of UMG into these streaming sources and to the airwaves violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and deceptive business practices act.

Drake's lawyers further accused UMG that it collaborated with Spotify to push the song to subscribers without their search for it and increased its multi-platform exposure. UMG has termed the allegations as offensive and untrue. It also added that the marketing practices were ethical. Spotify, however, has refused to comment on it.

The filing puts yet another interesting twist in the already hostile relationship that has existed between Drake and Lamar, characterized by various diss songs directed at one another. There is also a very big discrepancy between Drake and UMG, a label he has almost spent his entire career with.

The appropriate litigation would be targeted toward obtaining the relevant evidence before a comprehensive civil suit is launched against it, but UMG would primarily be targeted; Spotify might get implicated in this too.