Drake Drops Petition Against Spotify and UMG, Files Defamation Lawsuit Over Kendrick Lamar's Song
Associated Press
Music

While pulling the plug on his petition against Spotify and Universal Music Group over allegations of artificially inflating streaming numbers for Kendrick Lamar's song, Drake sues UMG for defamation related to the same track.

AceShowbiz - Drake has officially withdrawn his petition accusing Spotify and Universal Music Group (UMG) of engaging in an illegal "scheme" to boost the streaming numbers for Kendrick Lamar's hit diss track "Not Like Us."

This move follows allegations made by Drake in November, asserting that UMG and Spotify used bots, payola, and reduced licensing rates to unfairly elevate the song's popularity. The petition, which wasn't a full lawsuit but rather a "pre-action" move, has been dropped without costs to any party involved.

Documents filed in New York Supreme Court indicate that Drake and his Frozen Moments LLC decided to voluntarily withdraw the petition as of Tuesday, January 14. The pre-action petition aimed to seek disclosure and preservation of pertinent documents and communications from UMG and Spotify.

Spotify had no objection to the withdrawal while UMG reserved its position.

Despite this withdrawal, another similar petition filed by Drake in Texas against UMG and iHeartRadio remains pending. This second legal action accuses UMG of defamation for releasing a song that casts Drake in a negative light.

Drake's accusations stemmed from a high-profile feud with Kendrick Lamar that escalated in 2024 when Lamar's diss track "Not Like Us" scrutinized Drake's love life and accused him of cultural appropriation. The track became highly popular, leading Drake to file the legal action.

According to Drake's legal team, UMG allegedly licensed the song at drastically reduced rates to Spotify and used bots to falsely inflate streaming numbers, but UMG vehemently denied the accusations and branded them as "offensive and untrue."

Spotify also asserted that it had "no economic incentive for users to stream 'Not Like Us' over any of Drake's tracks," mentioning that only one promotional tool, Marquee, was used to promote Lamar's track in France for a cost of €500. Spotify rejected any claims that it had entered into any arrangement with UMG to lower licensing rates in exchange for increased promotion of the track.

In a sharp response, Drake's legal team said, "It is not surprising that Spotify is trying to distance themselves from UMG's allegedly manipulative practices... If Spotify and UMG have nothing to hide then they should be perfectly fine complying with this basic discovery request."

The outcome of this petition could further impact the dynamics of the ongoing feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar and the involvement of major industry players like Spotify and UMG.

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