Drake vs. UMG: A Legal Showdown Over Alleged Favoritism

In a dramatic turn of events, Drake has accused Universal Music Group (UMG) and Spotify of collusion to favor Kendrick Lamar during their 2024 musical feud. The allegations surfaced in November when Drake’s company, Frozen Moments, filed a petition to compel pre-action disclosure—a precursor to a full-blown lawsuit.

Drake’s claims include some heavy-hitting accusations: that UMG charged Spotify reduced royalty rates to promote Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us,” used bots to artificially inflate streams, and even engaged in radio payola to amplify the song’s reach. These allegations have shaken the industry and sparked fierce rebuttals from Spotify and UMG.

Spotify has since filed opposition papers, with David Kaefer, its VP and head of music and audiobooks, strongly denying any collusion. Kaefer dismissed the claims as “legally deficient,” asserting that Spotify had no arrangement with UMG to promote Lamar’s track in exchange for lower royalty rates. He also clarified that Spotify’s Discovery Mode—a feature allowing labels to promote tracks in exchange for reduced royalties—was not used for “Not Like Us.”

The issue of bots was also addressed. Spotify investigated a claim made on a podcast that bots inflated “Not Like Us” streams to 30 million in its initial days, but Kaefer stated no evidence supported this accusation. Interestingly, Spotify revealed that the only paid promotion for the track was a €500 purchase of its Marquee tool, used to promote the song in France—a far cry from the sweeping manipulation alleged by Drake.

Spotify further criticized the petition for lack of evidence that Drake’s music suffered due to Lamar’s promotion. The brief noted Drake’s continued popularity, highlighting that he was the second most-streamed artist on Spotify in the U.S. in 2024, behind Taylor Swift.

UMG has yet to file a legal response, but a spokesperson previously dismissed Drake’s accusations as “offensive and untrue,” asserting the label’s commitment to ethical practices.

As the case unfolds, it underscores the complex and competitive dynamics of the modern music industry—where even superstars like Drake can question fairness in the pursuit of success.