Drake Accuses Universal and Spotify of Inflating Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” Success
Drake’s company, Frozen Moments LLC, filed petitions in New York and Texas alleging that Universal Music Group (UMG) employed deceptive practices to artificially inflate the popularity of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” a diss track targeting Drake. The petitions claim UMG used bots, paid for radio play (payola), and manipulated Spotify’s algorithms to boost the song’s streams, all while charging below-market licensing rates. These actions, Drake alleges, caused him significant financial harm and violated the RICO Act. UMG denies the allegations, stating their marketing practices are ethical and that fan preference drives music popularity.
John Q. Hosedrinker