Drake’s company, Frozen Moments LLC, has filed a petition accusing Universal Music Group (UMG) of manipulating the success of Kendrick Lamar’s diss track Not Like Us. The 17-page filing, submitted to a Manhattan court on Monday, Nov. 25, alleges UMG orchestrated schemes to artificially inflate streams and airplay for the song, released by UMG’s subsidiary Interscope on May 4, 2024.
The petition claims UMG used bots, pay-to-play agreements, and discounted licensing rates with Spotify to boost the song’s visibility. It alleges Spotify recommended Not Like Us to listeners searching for unrelated artists, contributing to its rapid rise to 30 million streams shortly after release and later 300 million streams within 35 days. A podcaster is cited in the filing, claiming they were paid $2,500 through intermediaries to assist in 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 under the Communications Act of 1934. The petition asserts UMG’s actions were motivated by profit and have caused harm to other artists, including Drake, by saturating the market with Lamar’s single.
Drake’s legal team alleges UMG has attempted to conceal its actions, including firing employees perceived as loyal to the rapper. Despite efforts to negotiate directly with UMG, Drake’s attorneys claim the company refused, suggesting he address his concerns with Kendrick Lamar instead.
Frozen Moments seeks pre-action discovery to identify the appropriate parties for a formal lawsuit, citing potential claims of wire fraud, bribery, and deceptive business practices. UMG has denied the allegations, calling them “offensive and untrue” and stating, “Fans choose the music they want to hear.”
Not Like Us has since amassed 900 million streams on Spotify, making it the platform’s most-streamed diss track and achieving a record-breaking 96 million streams in one week. Spotify has not commented on the petition.
