Here are reasons why Drake is likely to lose his lawsuits against his label UMG and Spotify over the release of Kindrick Lamar's 'Not Like Us.'
Following official confirmation of a second lawsuit filed by Drake against his label, Universal Music Group (UMG) about the release of Kendrick Lamar’s viral rap song, ‘Not Like Us’ we have analysed why the Canadian rapper is likely to lose both cases (against UMG and also Spotify) if they go to trial.
Kendrick Lamar Beef: Drake vs. UMG and Spotify
On November 25, 2024, it was revealed that Drake had filed the first legal dispute against his label, Universal Music Group (UMG), and the digital music platform, Spotify.
Location: New York
- Allegations: In the legal dispute filed by Drake’s lawyers, UMG was accused of manipulating streams for the track "Not Like Us" on platforms like Spotify and through radio promotions. In his submission, Drake claimed this was done to artificially boost the song's popularity and profits.
- Details: The lawsuit alleges that UMG engaged in unethical practices, including bribery and misleading advertising, to ensure the song's commercial success. In the document shared, Drake’s team stated, “On information and belief, UMG charged Spotify licensing rates 30 percent lower than its usual licensing rates for ‘Not Like Us’ in exchange for Spotify affirmatively recommending the song to users who were searching for other unrelated songs and artists.”
Why Would Drake Lose the Lawsuit Against UMG and Spotify?
Part of the evidence submitted in Drake’s legal dispute against Spotify and UMG referenced a video shared by a TikTok user. The video demonstrated how asking Apple’s Siri for the specific lyrics “certified lover boy” automatically directed it to Not Like Us by Kendrick Lamar. However, the user later clarified in a follow-up video that Apple’s assistant was searching based on lyrics, not the song’s title. This nullifies the argument that users searching for Drake’s song were intentionally redirected to Kendrick’s.
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Additionally, contrary to claims that Not Like Us was heavily marketed by UMG and Spotify, there is substantial evidence suggesting otherwise. This includes an apology and acknowledgment from Spotify about the aggressive promotion of Drake’s Scorpion album, which caused widespread user frustration. According to Billboard:
“The campaign was intended to be a quirky celebration of Spotify’s top streaming artist, helping him to break the one-week U.S. streaming record in only three days and putting him on pace to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. But some subscribers online have been decrying the decision as an imposition of advertisements on what are supposed to be ad-free accounts, with a select number taking their complaints directly to the company with requests for refunds.”
Drake vs. UMG on Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us Lyrics
Location: Texas
- Allegations: Drake’s second lawsuit, filed on November 26, 2024, centers on defamation, with Drake alleging that the lyrics of "Not Like Us" falsely portray him as a sex offender and accuse him of other criminal activities.
- Details: The lawsuit claims that UMG could have prevented the release or required edits to remove defamatory content but failed to act.
Why Would Drake Lose His Second Lawsuit Against UMG?
This lawsuit is widely regarded as weak from the outset. Drake himself has made unverified allegations against Kendrick Lamar, including claims about Kendrick’s relationship with his wife and the paternity of one of his children. In Drake's diss track "Family Matters," he rapped:
“Your baby mama captions always screamin', 'Save me,' You did her dirty all your life, you tryna make peace, I heard that one of 'em little kids might be Dave Free, Don’t make it Dave Free’s, 'Cause if your GM is your BM secret BD.”
It remains to be seen how far these cases would go or if Drake would get in the booth like many rap fans have advised and issue a reply to arguably what has been categorised as the dopest diss tracks of the decade. Kendrick Lamar is still dominating the music space with the surprise release of his album GNX, as it gave us the Compton rapper unfiltered.
From him taking shots at those he viewed as backstabbers to sampling the Tupac legendary “Made Niggaz,” and also speaking about the Super Bowl controversy, GNX is definitely a body of work rap in the 2020s deserved as a form of reset and rekindling a genre many feel was dwindling.
