Universal Music Group (UMG) has responded to Drake’s allegations that it conspired with Spotify to artificially inflate the popularity of Kendrick Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us.” In a statement to Billboard, UMG strongly denied the accusations, calling them “offensive and untrue.” The company emphasized that it “employs the highest ethical practices in our marketing and promotional campaigns,” and stated, “No amount of contrived and absurd legal arguments in this pre-action submission can mask the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear.”
Drake’s legal team, through his company Frozen Moments LLC, had accused UMG of orchestrating an illegal campaign to promote Lamar’s song, which targeted Drake amid their ongoing feud. The petition alleges that UMG manipulated streaming services by offering Spotify reduced licensing fees in exchange for recommending “Not Like Us” to users who had searched for “unrelated songs and artists.” It also claims UMG paid influencers to boost the track on social media and employed bots to inflate streaming numbers. Additionally, the filing alleges that UMG paid Apple to misdirect users searching for Drake’s Certified Lover Boy album to Lamar’s song via Siri, although Apple is not named as a respondent.
The petition further states that Drake attempted to resolve the issue with UMG before resorting to court, but claims the label “has no interest in asking responsibility for its misconduct” and even fired staffers perceived as loyal to Drake. The petition also claims that UMG advised Drake to sue Lamar, not the label itself, in response to his complaints.
This filing is a “pre-action” petition, not yet a formal lawsuit, designed to gather information before any legal action is taken.
Both Drake and Kendrick Lamar are signed to Universal Music Group via Republic and Interscope Records respectively.
