Drake has taken legal action against Universal Music Group (UMG) and Spotify, accusing them of artificially inflating the success of Kendrick Lamar’s diss track, “Not Like Us”.

The 38-year-old Canadian rapper claims the companies used bots, pay-to-play schemes and social media influencers to manipulate streaming numbers, while allegedly suppressing his own music.

Filed by the “In My Feelings” hitmaker’s Frozen Moments LLC in New York’s Supreme Court in New York, the petition alleges UMG violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations Act and also conducted deceptive business practices.

Among the accusations, his lawyers assert UMG reduced Spotify licensing fees to prioritise “Not Like Us”, and even influenced Apple’s Siri to redirect users seeking Drake’s songs to Lamar’s track.

Drake believes these actions were motivated by profit incentives for UMG’s Interscope Records division, Lamar’s label, which benefited financially from the diss track’s success. UMG has denied the claims, calling them “offensive and untrue,” while Spotify has declined to comment.

The petition, a preliminary step to a potential lawsuit, highlights tensions between the two artists, whose public feud began with a series of accusatory diss tracks earlier this year. Despite the controversy, “Not Like Us” has become a record-breaking hit.

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