Drake has filed a lawsuit against Universal Music Group and Spotify over allegations that the two companies conspired to artificially inflate the popularity of Kendrick Lamar's “Not Like Us.”
In a filing Monday (Nov. 25) in Manhattan court, Drake's Frozen Moments LLC accused UMG of launching an illegal “scheme” involving bots, payola and other methods to promote Lamar's song — a track that viciously attacked to Drake amid an ongoing feud between the two stars.
“UMG did not rely on chance, or even ordinary business practices,” lawyers for Drake's company wrote. “Instead, it launched a campaign to manipulate and saturate streaming services and the airwaves.”
Drake's lawyers accuse UMG of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, the federal “RICO” statute often used in criminal cases against organized crime. They also allege deceptive business practices and false advertising under New York state law.
The court filings are a marked reversal in the high-profile beef between the two stars, which saw Drake and Kendrick trade diss jabs over a period of months earlier this year. That such a feud would spill over into business disputes seemed almost unthinkable in the hip-hop world.
It also represents a surprising break between Drake and UMG, where the star has spent his entire career, first signing a deal with Lil Wayne's Young Money imprint, which was distributed by Republic Records, and then signing directly to Republic .
Lamar, meanwhile, has also spent his entire career associated with UMG, first through his TDE imprint, which was distributed by Interscope, and more recently through his own pgLang label, which he licenses through Interscope.
In technical terms, Monday's filing is not yet a full lawsuit, but a so-called “pre-action” petition — a process under New York law aimed at securing information before a lawsuit is filed. Spotify declined to comment. UMG did not immediately return a request for comment.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/pro/drake-umg-spotify-schemed-boost-kendrick-not-like-us/
