Drake has filed a court petition alleging that Universal Music Group (UMG) and Spotify artificially inflated the popularity of Kendrick Lamar's diss track "Not Like Us." The filing, submitted by Drake's company Frozen Moments LLC in a New York Court, seeks information preservation for a potential lawsuit against UMG.

Photo Credit: Drake by GabboT / CC by 2.0

The petition alleges that UMG:

• Used bots and pay-to-play agreements to artificially boost streaming numbers
• Offered Spotify special licensing rates to promote the song
• Fired employees loyal to Drake to conceal these activities
• Manipulated streaming services to make the song go viral

"Not Like Us," released in May, has garnered over 900 million Spotify plays and is considered a pivotal track in the ongoing Drake-Kendrick feud. The song contains direct attacks against Drake, including controversial lyrics about his personal life.

UMG strongly denies these allegations, stating they are "offensive and untrue" and that they "employ the highest ethical practices in marketing and promotional campaigns." The company maintains that fan choice, not manipulation, drives streaming numbers.

Spotify, while not directly responding to these specific allegations, has previously stated they "invest heavily in automated and manual reviews to prevent, detect, and mitigate the impact of artificial streaming" on their platform.

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