Drake has officially withdrawn his legal claims against Universal Music Group and Spotify, whom he accused of employing illegal methods to boost streams for Kendrick Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us”. The move comes after months of speculation about the tensions between the two artists and their respective teams.
The lawsuit, filed by Drake’s company Frozen Moments, alleged that Universal and Spotify used questionable practices such as bots and bribes to artificially inflate the streams of “Not Like Us”, Kendrick Lamar’s diss track targeting Drake. The song, which gained viral attention in late 2024, features a controversial lyric where Lamar refers to Drake as a “certified pedophile.”
According to Drake, this lyric was not only defamatory but was also actively promoted by Universal, the label responsible for distributing both his and Lamar’s music. Frozen Moments filed a pre-litigation request in November but officially dropped the filing voluntarily as of yesterday.
Both Spotify and Universal had firmly denied the allegations.
A Spotify representative stated:
“Spotify has no incentive to prioritize streams of ‘Not Like Us’ over any of Drake’s songs. The accusations are baseless.”
Universal Music also issued a statement, calling the claims “false and offensive.”
By dropping the legal action, Drake seems to be focusing on moving past the controversy. However, the fallout from Lamar’s diss track and its aggressive promotion continues to dominate headlines.
This marks another chapter in the longstanding rivalry between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, two of the most influential artists in hip-hop today. Fans will undoubtedly be watching closely to see how their feud unfolds in the future.
Stay tuned for updates on this developing story and more music industry news.