Drake just raised the stakes in his years-long beef with Kendrick Lamar by filing a lawsuit against Universal Music Group and Spotify. The rapper, through his company Frozen Moments LLC, filed in New York a petition against these two giants of the music scene, accusing them of conspiring against him by artificially boosting Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us.” This marks a big jump in a dispute that’s taken over the minds of fans and people in the music industry.
In the filing, Drake accuses UMG of orchestrating a plan to artificially inflate the song’s streaming numbers and radio spins for “Not Like Us” using shady practices, including bots, pay-for-play deals. Because of this, he says, Lamar’s song went viral.
The petition still insinuates that UMG gave Spotify special licensing rates to boost the song’s visibility on the streamer. In fact, it is reported that “Not Like Us” had over 900 million streams on Spotify since the song’s release back in May.
Drake’s lawyers say such actions amount to a violation of the laws of fair competition and undermine the integrity of the music business. They want information in support of a longer-form complaint against UMG and Spotify.
UMG strongly denies these claims, describing them as “offensive and untrue.” It stated that its marketing practices are of the highest ethics and underscored that the consumers choose what they get to listen to.
The beef between Drake and Kendrick Lamar isn’t an overnight thing; rather, it has been building up for a couple of years. They initially collaborated on songs such as “Buried Alive Interlude” and “Poetic Justice,” but things took a different turn when, in 2013, Lamar went on Big Sean’s song “Control” and called out a lot of rappers-conservative estimates place the number at three-which included Drake. The moment turned into a series of subliminal diss tracks that would last for several years between the two artists.
It was one of those beefs that, in very dramatic fashion, was reignited earlier this year when both artists released tracks attacking each other. Lamar went hard with “Not Like Us,” placing direct accusations against Drake for a variety of transgressions; in turn, Drake came back with “Push Ups” and “Taylor Made Freestyle.” That culminated in a current legal battle between them-an indication of how personal their rivalry has become.
”Not Like Us” by Lamar is not a takedown track; rather, it’s more of a window into his creative mind wanting to be closer with fans. With powerful lyrics and his storytelling ability, often Lamar crafts songs that will reach and touch listeners at many levels. Here, he wanted to provide the strong lyrics to address his feelings toward Drake; it was targeting the appeal from fans who like raw honesty from hip-hop.
The Drake lawsuit raises questions about the extent to which major labels at this juncture in history exercise influence over an artist’s success. The allegations reverberate with a curious trend whereby popularity can be deliriously manufactured rather than organically earned through genuine means of engagement.
The music industry is cautiously watching this legal drama. It puts in the line of vision broader concerns about just how much clarity there is in streaming numbers and how artists are promoted by their labels. Both UMG and Spotify declare their innocence upon Drake’s charges, but this might set a precedent in how artist disputes are going to be dealt with in the future.
