Drake escalates his beef with Kendrick Lamar, takes legal action against his record label for inflating his rival diss track 'Not Like Us'

Canadian rapper Drake has filed a lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG) and Spotify, accusing them of conspiring to boost interest in Kendrick Lamar's diss track Not Like Us while suppressing his own music. In the petition filed with the New York Supreme Court on November 25, Drake, whose full name is Aubrey Drake Graham, claims UMG employed bots and a "pay-to-play" scheme to manipulate streaming platforms and airwaves in favor of Lamar’s track, to Drake’s detriment. The filing alleges UMG paid Spotify to recommend Not Like Us to users searching for unrelated artists and songs, and also paid Apple to have Siri redirect users requesting Drake’s music to Lamar’s track instead.

Drake and his company, Frozen Moments LLC, have requested the court to order UMG and Spotify to preserve all related documents ahead of a potential lawsuit. However, UMG has reportedly refused to engage with Drake, suggesting he should sue Lamar instead.

The lawsuit highlights UMG’s alleged unethical practices, including hiring bots to inflate streams, paying for extra radio airplay, and engaging in undisclosed influencer marketing campaigns. It also claims UMG charged Spotify reduced licensing fees in exchange for promoting Lamar’s song and intentionally boosting its visibility across platforms. A whistleblower reportedly revealed that bots were used to generate 30 million streams for Not Like Us shortly after its release.

UMG has denied the allegations, with a spokesperson stating the claims are "offensive and untrue," asserting that fans choose the music they want to hear. Despite this, Drake accuses the label of violating multiple laws, including the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, the New York Deceptive Business Act, and the False Advertising Act.