DRAKE: “Not Like Us” Streams Inflated

Drake claimed that Spotify and Universal Music Group (UMG) schemed to “artificially inflate” the popularity of Kendrick Lamar’s diss track, “Not Like Us.”

The “scheme” included paying social media influencers to pump up “Not Like Us” and inducing Spotify with reduced licensing rates to recommend Kendrick’s track. Bots streaming the song supposedly played a role. The result, according to Drake’s lawyers, was to “deceive consumers into believing the song was more popular than it was in reality.”

Kendrick Lamar and Drake are signed to labels under the Universal Music Group (UMG) umbrella. A spokesperson said (quote) “The suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue. No amount of contrived and absurd legal arguments can mask the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear.” (Billboard)

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Ariel Newbold

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