Lamar released ‘Not Like Us’ via UMG’s subsidiary Interscope amid a heated rap battle with Drake in May 2024
Drake’s company has filed a petition against Universal Music Group for allegedly falsifying the success of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” diss track.
Drake’s Frozen Moments LLC filed the petition in a Manhattan court on Monday, Nov. 25, per documents obtained by PEOPLE.
In the 17-page filing, Drake’s attorneys state that UMG released the song on May 4, 2024, via its subsidiary Interscope, where Lamar, 37, is an artist.
They allege the record label “launched a campaign to manipulate and saturate the streaming services and airwaves” with “Not Like Us” “to make that song go viral, including by using “bots” and pay-to-play agreements.”
The attorneys allege that UMG gave Spotify, which is also named as a respondent in the petition, a 30% discount on licensing rates in exchange for the music streaming platform recommending “Not Like Us” to listeners searching for “unrelated” songs and artists, according to the filing.
The filing references a podcaster who alleged that Interscope paid them $2,500 through third parties “to use ‘bots'” to help Lamar’s song reach 30 million streams on Spotify just days after its release. The platform later celebrated Lamar’s single reaching a record-breaking 300 million streams in the first 35 days, per the petition.
Drake’s company also alleges “at least one UMG employee” paid radio stations to play “Not Like Us” without disclosing that they received compensation. The attorneys point out that the alleged conduct is known as “payola” and is “prohibited by the Communications Act of 1934.”
“UMG’s schemes to artificially inflate the popularity of ‘Not Like Us’ were motivated, at least in part, by the desire of executives at Interscope to maximize their own profits,” the court docs allege.
The attorneys added that Frozen Moments has been informed that UMG is allegedly “taking steps in an apparent effort to conceal its schemes” such as firing employees who show loyalty to Drake.
Per the filing, Drake has tried to speak with UMG about “the ongoing harm he has suffered as a result of UMG’s actions,” however, the company allegedly “refused to engage in negotiations” and said Drake should take his issues to Lamar instead.
UMG’s alleged decision to saturate the market with “Not Like Us” “comes at the expense of other artists” such as Drake, the court papers continue.
In the petition, Frozen Moments is requesting “pre-action discovery” to help the company “identify” the “appropriate” parties to name as defendants in an official complaint.
Although the company says it has “viable cause of action for civil RICO” against UMG with claims like wire fraud, mail fraud, bribery, deceptive business practices and false advertising, it adds that it needs more information from UMG and Spotify before a lawsuit can be filed.
