Drake Takes Legal Action Against Kendrick Lamar Over Payola Scheme

Drake’s Legal Petition Against Universal Music Group

Drake is taking his beef with Kendrick Lamar to the court system.

The Toronto rapper filed a petition Monday accusing Universal Music Group — the home label to both him and rival Kendrick Lamar — of a payola scheme to “manipulate and saturate the streaming services and airwaves” with Lamar’s hit diss track “Not Like Us.”

Allegations Against Universal Music Group

According to the filing, obtained by The Independent, Drake and his company, Frozen Moments LLC, claim UMG paid Spotify to recommend “Not Like Us” to users “who are searching for other unrelated songs and artists.” Additionally, the petition accuses the label of paying Apple to have Siri “purposely misdirect” users requesting Drake songs to “Not Like Us.”

The filing alleges UMG used bots and “pay-to-play agreements” to create “the false impression that the Song was more popular than it was in reality.”

Impact of “Not Like Us” on Kendrick Lamar’s Career

“Not Like Us” was Lamar’s fourth No. 1 song and his first solo No. 1 debut, spending two non-consecutive weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100, breaking several Spotify records, most previously held by Drake, and earning five Grammy nominations including Record and Song of the Year.

The track came after a protracted rap battle that saw the two hip-hop titans taking low blows at one another, with “Not Like Us” effectively ending the battle in Lamar’s favor. In the song, Lamar accuses Drake of inappropriate relations with minors, labeling the Certified Lover Boy rapper’s crew, OVO, as “certified pedophiles.”

Drake’s Response to Alleged Payola Scheme

But, as per The Independent, Drake takes issue not with the lyrics but with the way the song allegedly became the smash that it was. The filing makes note of “online sources” claiming that asking Siri to play the 2021 Drake album instead redirected users to “Not Like Us” and its “certified pedophile” lyric.

Drake also claims UMG paid social media influencers to promote “Not Like Us,” with neither side disclosing the financial agreement, and that in order to conceal its deeds, the label then fired “employees associated with or perceived as having loyalty to Drake.”

UMG’s Response and Drake’s Allegations

As for the reasoning behind UMG favoring one of their most popular artists over, arguably, their most popular artist, Drake’s petition alleges the success of “Not Like Us” in turn boosted sales of Lamar’s back catalog, at Drake’s “expense.” The filing claims UMG has “refused to engage” with Drake and told the ex-Degrassi star to sue Lamar instead.

“The suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue,” a spokesperson for Universal Music Group said in a statement to Entertainment Weekly. “We employ the highest ethical practices in our marketing and promotional campaigns. No amount of contrived and absurd legal arguments in this pre-action submission can mask the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear.”

FAQs

Q: What is Drake accusing Universal Music Group of?

A: Drake is accusing Universal Music Group of a payola scheme to promote Kendrick Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us” unfairly.

Q: What impact did “Not Like Us” have on Kendrick Lamar’s career?

A: “Not Like Us” became Lamar’s fourth No. 1 song and his first solo No. 1 debut, earning multiple Grammy nominations.

Q: How is Drake responding to the alleged payola scheme?

A: Drake claims UMG used unethical tactics to boost the success of “Not Like Us” at his expense.

Credit: ew.com