Drake has filed a petition against Spotify and Universal Music Group, accusing the companies of conspiring to inflate the streaming and radio numbers of Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us" amid the rappers' monthslong feud.
Drake says in the petition, filed in the New York court system, that UMG paid influencers, radio stations and others to promote the song and use bots to increase the song's popularity.
He references the companies' multi-year licensing agreement, and says they have "a long-standing, symbiotic business relationship" in which UMG charged Spotify a licensing fee 30% less than usual for "Not Like Us." In exchange, Spotify frequently recommended the song to users, he says.
Drake and Lamar are two of the biggest names in the rap genre, with several number one hits and Grammys between them. They both have record label deals under UMG and collaborated a few times in the past.
Drake claims UMG engaged in similar practices with other streaming platforms, such as Apple Music. For example, when users asked Siri to play his album Certified Lover Boy, it played "Not Like Us" instead. He also says UMG fired employees "with or perceived as having loyalty to Drake."
Spotify and UMG were not immediately available for comment.
Though, UMG said in a statement cited by the Associated Press that 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."
It is unclear what provoked the conflict between the two, but earlier this year they both released several songs filled with jabs and insults aimed at the other. The pinnacle of the exchanges was Lamar's "Not Like Us," which spent two weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and has more than 900 million streams on Spotify.
Before filing a complaint, which would turn Drake's accusations into an official lawsuit, Drake is requesting discovery that includes the identities of the people UMG and Spotify allegedly paid to promote and stream the song.
"Every time a song 'breaks through,' it means another artist does not," he says in the petition. "UMG's choice to saturate the music market with 'Not Like Us' comes at the expense of its other artists, like Drake."
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