Drake accuses Universal of ‘Not Like Us’ scheme and defamation
“This is not enough.”
Illustration: Eagle; Photos: Astrida Valigorski/Getty Images, Prince Williams/Wireimage
Sorry, we take it back: It’s pretty clear that Drake is still upset with Kendrick Lamar. How do we know? Well, the guy just took legal action against Lamar, claiming a plot To inflate “Not Like Us” numbers amid beef earlier this year in two petitions. now, Spotify responds Drake’s claims are “far-fetched”.
November 25: Frozen Moments LLC, one of Drake’s companies, filed a lawsuit against Universal Music Group, and also named Spotify as a defendant, alleging that there was an illegal “scheme” to promote “Not Like Us” using bots and Payola. Bulletin board Reports. Drake went so far as to accuse UMG of violating the federal RICO law — i.e., a criminal conspiracy to support “Not Like Us.” A UMG spokesperson chimed in in response to the filing with Vulture, writing: “To suggest that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue. We use the highest ethical practices in our marketing and promotional campaigns. No amount of contrived legal arguments can What’s ridiculous about this prequel is that it hides the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear.
Drake’s lawsuit is not a lawsuit but a pretrial motion, which helps obtain information before a lawsuit. But it’s still a notable move, especially against UMG, which not only distributes Lamar’s music through Interscope Records but also owns Drake’s label, Republic Records. How does Kendrick take this, you wonder? He’s just dancing.
November 26: In the second lawsuit, Drake is also threatening to file a defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar’s allegations in the song Not Like Us. It’s another interlocutory petition — this time filed in Texas and also naming iHeartRadio as a defendant. per Bulletin board – UMG accused of being involved in a “pay-to-play scheme” with the radio group. It alleges that this scheme is part of a broader RICO conspiracy carried out by UMG. But in the lawsuit, Drake’s lawyers also objected to UMG releasing a song that “falsely accuses him of being a sex offender.”
On “Not Like Us,” Lamar sings lines like “Say, Drake, I heard you like ’em young” and “Certified lover boy?” Certified pedophiles.” (Lamar’s allegations come after Drake released songs accusing Lamar of being an abusive partner, a cheater, and an absent father.) Drake’s lawyers say the label group “could have refused to release or distribute the song or request editing and/or the offensive material.” It has been removed.” Instead, they claim that UMG illegally promoted “Not Like Us” “with the intent of using the spectacle of damage to Drake and his companies to whip up consumer hysteria and, of course, generate massive revenue.” (This is despite the fact that Drake also releases music from Through UMG, on Republic Records.) While the new filing is intended to obtain information, Drake’s lawyers said they already have the evidence to pursue the defamation lawsuit — though they are focusing on the RICO suit instead.
December 20: Spotify disputes Drake’s “far-fetched” claim that it worked with Universal Music Group to promote Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” in a new move. “The entire predicate of petitioner’s request for discovery from Spotify is incorrect,” the streamer’s attorneys wrote. per Bulletin board. “Spotify and UMG never had any such arrangement.”
While UMG issued a statement on Drake’s petitions at the time, Spotify is the first party to formally respond in a lawsuit. Additionally, the company accused Drake of trying to “bypass normal pleading requirements” by filing a pre-petition, rather than filing a lawsuit. “This subversion of the normal judicial process must be rejected,” the lawyers wrote. Additionally, Spotify said that Drake’s case, which is not a lawsuit, “does not assert any specific facts” and “relies exclusively on speculation…or claims by anonymous individuals on the Internet.” The filing included an affidavit from Spotify’s vice president of music, who testified about how the streamer fights bots.
Drake’s lawyers accused Spotify of “trying to distance themselves from UMG’s allegedly manipulative practices” in response to Vulture, adding, “If Spotify and UMG have nothing to hide, they should be perfectly fine complying with this basic discovery request.”