Drake’s company, Frozen Moments LLC, has filed a petition accusing Universal Music Group (UMG) of manipulating the success of Kendrick Lamar’s breakaway track. Not like us. The 17-page filing, submitted to a Manhattan court on Monday, November 25, alleges schemes orchestrated by UMG to artificially inflate the streams and distribution of the song, released by Interscope, the UMG subsidiary, on May 4, 2024.
The petition claims that UMG used bots, payment deals, and discounted licensing fees with Spotify to increase visibility for the song. He alleges that Spotify recommended Not like us to listeners looking for independent artists, contributing to its rapid increase to 30 million streams shortly after its release, and then to 300 million streams in 35 days. One podcaster is named in the filing claiming to have received $2,500 through intermediaries to help with these efforts.
Frozen Moments also accuses UMG of paying radio stations to play Not like us without disclosing financial arrangements, a practice known as “payola,” which is prohibited by the Communications Act of 1934. The petition claims that UMG’s actions were motivated by profit and caused harm to other artists, including Drake, by saturating the market with Lamar’s single. .
Drake’s legal team claims UMG tried to cover up its actions, including firing employees perceived to be loyal to the rapper. Despite efforts to negotiate directly with UMG, Drake’s lawyers say the company refused, suggesting he instead direct his concerns to Kendrick Lamar.
Frozen Moments is seeking a pre-action investigation to identify appropriate parties for a formal trial, citing potential allegations of wire fraud, corruption and deceptive business practices. UMG denied the allegations, calling them “offensive and false” and stating: “Fans choose the music they want to hear.”
Not like us has since racked up 900 million streams on Spotify, making it the most streamed diss track on the platform and reaching a record 96 million streams in one week. Spotify has not commented on the petition.
