Drake has accused Universal Music Group of artificially boosting Spotify streams for Kendrick Lamar’s chart-topping diss track “Not Like Us”, according to a court filing submitted in New York on Monday.
The filing marks the latest escalation in the long-standing feud between the two rappers.
Drake’s legal team also alleges that Universal defamed him by allowing the release of a song that “falsely accuses him of being a sex offender.” According to the filing, Universal “executed a plan” to turn the song into a “viral mega-hit,” leveraging Lamar’s incendiary lyrics to generate “consumer hysteria and massive revenues.”
This pre-action petition, filed in Texas, seeks to compel Universal to preserve relevant documents and information for potential future legal proceedings. It also implicates iHeartRadio, the radio giant operating over 850 stations across the United States.
The controversy follows Drake’s earlier New York filing, where he accused Universal of illegally inflating the song’s visibility on Spotify. Universal has denied the claims, calling them “offensive and untrue.”
“Not Like Us”, widely seen as a pivotal moment in the rappers’ long-running feud, debuted at number one on the US charts and has been nominated for four Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year. In response, Drake released “The Heart Part 6”, denying allegations of sexual misconduct and claiming he misled Lamar with false information via a double agent.
However, the track was later removed from Drake’s Instagram feed.
Drake, one of the most-streamed artists in history, distributes his music through his OVO Music label, which partners with Universal subsidiary Republic Records for marketing and distribution.
