Drake Accuses UMG & Spotify Of Inflating Success Of ‘Not Like Us’ With Bots, Immediately Gets Flamed On Social Media

Source: Prince Williams / Getty

The beef that’s been pestering the Hip-Hop community for more than nine months has thankfully not spilled over into the streets, but now it’s being moved from the court of public opinion to the court of law.

On Monday, Nov. 25, in a Manhattan court, Drake’s Frozen Moments LLC filed a petition against Universal Music Group (UMG), his own label. But UMG is also the owner of Interscope Records, which Kendrick Lamar is signed to, and Drake claims that the parent company conspired against him during the beef by propping up ‘Not Like Us.’

The filing accuses UMG of using bots, streaming farms, payola, and other methods, including one claim that when iPhone’s Siri was asked to play Certified Lover Boy, it would instead play the diss track.

Spotify was also reportedly involved, with UMG charging the streaming giant a 30% lower licensing fee in exchange for the song being recommended on the platform even when it shouldn’t be. In an attempt to cover up their dishonesty, Drake’s party alleged UMG fired all the employees who appeared to be loyal to the Canadian rapper.

“Streaming and licensing is a zero-sum game. Every time a song ‘breaks through,’ it means another artist does not,” the petition says. “UMG’s choice to saturate the music market with ‘Not Like Us’ comes at the expense of its other artists, like Drake. As Drake is Petitioner’s sole owner, and Petitioner owns the copyright to Drake’s entire catalogue, Petitioner suffered economic harm as a result of UMG’s scheme.”

Drake’s attorneys have gone so far as to accuse UMG of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act(RICO), a charge that would prove the label is engaged in illegitimate business practices to stack more money,

“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 (Records) to maximize their own profits,” Drake’s petition claims.

The action isn’t technically a lawsuit yet, more a pre-action petition that will help Drake’s side gain enough information from the defendants, before eventually filing.

UMG has come out denying the claims made by Frozen Moments, calling them “absurd.”

“The suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue,” the music corporation said in a statement to USA TODAY. “We employ the highest ethical practices in our marketing and promotional campaigns. 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.”

Social media discovered that Drake is bringing the law into a rap beef and is pretty upset. See the reactions below.

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