In a high-profile legal clash, Drake has accused Spotify and Universal Music Group (UMG) of engaging in manipulative practices to artificially inflate the popularity of Kendrick Lamar’s track “Not Like Us.”
The allegations, brought forward through Drake’s company Frozen Moments, claim that UMG and Spotify conspired to boost the song’s streams at Drake’s expense amid the ongoing rivalry between the two artists.
The Allegations
Drake’s legal team alleges that UMG offered Spotify licensing rates 30% lower than usual in exchange for aggressive promotion of Lamar’s “Not Like Us.”
The promotional efforts allegedly targeted users searching for unrelated artists and songs.
Further, Drake accuses UMG of employing bots to inflate the song’s streams, claiming that 30 million fake plays were added shortly after the track’s release.
At the time of filing, “Not Like Us” had reportedly amassed 963 million streams on Spotify.
Drake’s legal team also described Spotify as “easy to bot,” citing an unidentified individual who claimed to have received payment from Interscope Records, a UMG subsidiary, to artificially boost streams for the song.
A representative from Drake’s legal team stated, “If Spotify and UMG have nothing to hide, they should be perfectly fine complying with this basic discovery request.”
Spotify’s Response
Spotify has firmly denied the accusations, calling Drake’s claims baseless and unsupported by facts. The platform argued in its legal response that the allegations rely on “information-and-belief and hearsay assertions,” which do not pertain to Spotify’s operations.
David Kaefer, Spotify’s head of music and audiobooks business, stated, “UMG and Spotify have never had any arrangement in which UMG ‘charged Spotify licensing rates 30 percent’ less than usual in exchange for recommending the relevant Lamar track to users.” He also noted that Spotify found no evidence to support claims of bot-generated streams or other manipulative practices.
Spotify further emphasized its ongoing investment in combating artificial streaming through automated and manual reviews, stating that the company takes actions such as removing inflated stream counts, withholding royalties, and imposing penalties when manipulation is detected.
The Broader Implications
Drake’s accusations have sparked considerable debate within the music industry, raising concerns about the potential for stream manipulation and its impact on artists’ visibility and revenue.
If proven, the claims could have significant consequences for Spotify, UMG, and industry practices at large.
As the legal proceedings unfold, Drake is set to embark on his Australia tour on Super Bowl Sunday, coinciding with Kendrick Lamar’s highly anticipated halftime performance.
With tensions between the two artists running high, some speculate that Drake may release a new diss track in response.
Whether the court dismisses Drake’s petition or moves forward with the case remains to be seen.
In the meantime, the dispute highlights the complexities of modern music streaming and the fierce competition among top artists in the industry.
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