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Drake is currently in the midst of an ongoing legal feud with Universal Music Group and Spotify, filing pre-action petitions against them for allegedly conspiring against him and artificially inflating Not Like Us' streaming numbers.
According to several reports from publications like XXL and Billboard, the OVO CEO had filed a pre-action petition against UMG and Spotify on November 25, 2024. The document requests for the exchange of information and reasonable negotiations, before any legal proceedings.
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One day after filing a petition in New York, Drake's Frozen Moments LLC filed a second pre-action petition in Texas court, which now implicates radio giant iHeartRadio in its allegations.
According to court documents, the second petition claims UMG allegedly “funneled payments” to iHeartRadio in a "pay-to-place scheme" to boost the attention around Not Like Us.
The claims also include allegations that UMG engaged in business practices that harmed Drizzy's reputation. His legal team claimed Universal intentionally prioritized Not Like Us for financial gain, explaining:
"UMG designed, financed, and then executed a plan to turn ‘Not Like Us’ into a viral mega-hit with the intent of using the spectacle of harm to Drake and his businesses to drive consumer hysteria and, of course, massive revenues."
Below are some of the major allegations Frozen Moments' legal team has made against UMG, Spotify, and iHeartRadio, in their pre-action petitions filed this week:
- Allegations of charging Spotify a 30 percent lower licensing rate to recommend Not Like Us to users searching for unrelated content.
- Allegations of paying Apple Inc. to have Siri "purposely misdirect" users to Not Like Us when asked to play Certified Lover Boy.
- Allegations of engaging in payola with promotors who forwarded funds to radio stations to play Not Like Us.
- Allegations of paying NFR Podcast, a hip-hop news media outlet, to promote Not Like Us on social media.
- Accusations of refusal to engage in negotiations with Drake after being notified of "economic harm" to his image and personal life following the release of Not Like Us.
- Allegations of UMG threatening to take legal action against Kendrick Lamar if Drake sued them.
- Allegations of "funneled payments" to iHeartRadio to boost streaming and radio play for Not Like Us.
Everything we know about Drake and UMG's legal feud: Relationship explored as Drizzy's legal team files second petition
Drake, owner of OVO Records and Frozen Moments LLC, is currently involved in a developing legal dispute with major label Universal Music Group (UMG). The rapper has been signed under the blanket of UMG's record label empire since the start of his career.
He first signed under Lil Wayne's Young Money label, alongside Nicki Minaj, which was owned by Universal's subsidiary label Cash Money Records. The rapper then signed as an independent artist with Republic Records, who manage distribution for Young Money.
Over two years ago, Drake accepted a 400 million dollar agreement with UMG, that reportedly solidified the company's holdings on the Canadian rapper's catalog. He continues to release music under OVO, under an exclusive license to Republic Records, a subsidiary of UMG.
Despite a commercially successful partnership, reports from XXL suggest that Drake's professional relationship with Universal's CEO Lucian Grainge has become strained.
His rival, Kendrick Lamar, has also been signed under UMG for his entire career, given his association with Top Dawg Entertainment. K-Dot left TDE, in 2022, to form pgLang in an exclusive licensing deal with another one of Universal's subsidiaries, Interscope Records.
On Monday (November 22), Frozen Moments LLC filed a 17-page pre-action petition against the multinational music corporation in the New York Supreme Court. The claim accuses UMG of allegedly violating the "RICO Act, NY Deceptive Business Act, and the NY False Advertising Act."
"[UMG] launched a campaign to manipulate and saturate the streaming services and airwaves with a song, Not Like Us, in order to make that song go viral, including by using 'bots' and pay-to-play agreements," Drake's legal team stated.
The petition was filed for Drizzy's lawyers to gather and secure information regarding a potential lawsuit against Universal. Billboard reported that UMG's spokesperson addressed the legal filing in a public statement, explaining:
"The suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue. We employ the highest ethical practices in our marketing and promotional campaigns. No amount of contrived and absurd legal arguments in this pre-action submission can mask the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear."
Drizzy's legal team followed up with another pre-action filing in Bexar County, Texas, which was made public on Tuesday (November 26). The new document accuses iHeartRadio of engaging in "pay-for-play" business schemes with UMG.
The filing references "personal grievances" faced during the 2024 rap beef. Drake's legal team accuse UMG of mishandling the predatory allegations made against him and the OVO collective in Not Like Us, stating:
"UMG … could have refused to release or distribute the song or required the offending material to be edited and/or removed. But UMG chose to do the opposite"
Drake's legal filings arrive less than a week after Kendrick Lamar released his sixth studio album, GNX. The new LP is projected to debut at No.1 on next week's Billboard 200 album charts.
