November 26 – Drake escalates his feud with fellow rap superstar Kendrick Lamar, filing two notices in court threatening legal action against major music companies over the music by Drake over Lamar’s megahit “Not Like Us”. Said to be manipulative propaganda.

The record-breaking “Dis” track “Not Like Us”, released this year, suggests that Drake is a sex offender, with the lyrics, “Drake, I hear you like me young,” and is a “certified pedophile” and “predator.” ”

Drake, using his given name Aubrey Drake Graham, filed a petition in Bexar County District Court in Texas on Monday serving notice to music giants iHeartMedia and Universal Music Group that “Not Like Us” became a viral hit on UMG. Accused of planning to convert. Fellow UMG artist Drake’s expense.

Universal Music Group denied that it had undermined Drake or used unethical methods to market Lamar’s song, saying in a statement that Drake’s allegations were “fabricated and absurd legal arguments”. .

Representatives for iHeartMedia, based in San Antonio, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Drake’s company Frozen Moments filed a similar action in New York Supreme Court against Universal and Spotify on Monday, accusing Universal of using payola and other manipulative practices to promote “Not Like Us” Went.

Spotify did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Like Texas, the New York case is not a formal lawsuit but rather a notice that a lawsuit may be forthcoming.

Drake alleges in the New York filing that UMG “launched a campaign to manipulate and saturate” streaming services like Spotify to help “Not Like Us” go viral, including using ‘bots’ and pay-to-play. The use of play agreements was also included.

“Streaming and licensing is a zero-sum game,” Drake’s filing said. “Every time a song ‘breaks through,’ it means no other artist does. UMG’s choice to saturate the music market with ‘Not Like Us’ at the expense of its other artists like Drake Comes.”

Universal, whose division Interscope Records represents Lamar, disputed the allegations in a statement.

“The suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue,” the statement said. “We use the highest ethical practices in our marketing and promotional campaigns. No amount of fanciful and absurd legal arguments in this pre-action submission can hide the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear.”

The two one-time collaborators began feuding after Lamar’s bravado over his 2013 track, in which he rapped Drake and several other big names in the genre, saying, “I love y’all, but I’m gonna murder y’all.” Trying to… trying to make sure your core fans never hear about you.” This dispute, which initially seemed minor, has become deeper in the last few years.

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