In one of the biggest twist in Hip-Hop Canadian superstar Drake has filed lawsuit against own label Universal Music Group and streaming giant Spotify for manipulating streams of his rival Kendrick Lamar’s viral diss song “Not Like Us”
Not Like Us was filled with some serious accusations against Drake with lyrics “Hey Drake i know you like ’em young” and “Certified Lover Boy? Certified pedophiles” accusing the star of pedophilia. Months after the song which has charted #1 on Billboard Hot 100 for multiple weeks and has been nominated for Grammys awards, Drake has decided to file legal action in which he accuses launching an illegal “scheme” involving bots, payola and other methods to pump up Lamar’s song.
Drake’s attorneys says “UMG did not rely on chance, or even ordinary business practices. It instead launched a campaign to manipulate and saturate the streaming services and airwaves.”
Drake also accused UMG of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, the federal “RICO” statute often used in criminal cases against organized crime. The alleged deceptive business practices and false advertising under New York state law. Drake lawyers claimed that “UMG … conspired with and paid currently unknown parties to use ‘bots’ to artificially inflate the spread of ‘Not Like Us’ and deceive consumers into believing the song was more popular than it was in reality,”
UMG RESPONDS
Meanwhile Spotify has declined to comment but UMG has denied allegations in a statement “The suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue. 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.”
( Drake’s lawyers statement and UMG’s response has been taken from Billboard )