As expected, Spotify has responded to Drake’s allegations centered on Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.”
In November, two filings from the For All the Dogs artist saw UMG and other parties being named amid accusations of, among other things, falsely boosting stats for the Grammy-nominated Kendrick track. As first reported by Music Business Worldwide's Murray Stassen on Friday, Dec. 20, Spotify responded to Drake’s claims, specifically zeroing in on the allegation that there was some sort of an “agreement” made between the streaming platform and UMG about the song.
“As set forth in the accompanying affirmation, the predicate of [Drake’s] entire request for discovery from Spotify is false: there is no such agreement,” a new Spotify filing states. “In any event, however, the Petition is legally deficient and should be denied.”
Throughout the newly reported docs, Spotify refers to the claims made by Drake as being rooted in “speculation” instead of facts. At one point, the basis for Drake’s RICO argument is attributed, at least in part, to “claims of anonymous individuals on the internet.”
Also referenced in the filing are Spotify’s recently shared year-end stats, which showed Drake as the second biggest artist on the platform in the U.S. in 2024. Kendrick, meanwhile, did not make the top five.
If you’re confused by all of this, especially considering both Drake and Kendrick fall under the larger UMG banner, consult this recent breakdown from Shawn Setaro.
Drake's decision to take his and Kendrick's historic back-and-forth to the courts system proved to be a surprising move, not to mention a controversial one. For Breakfast Club personality Charlamagne tha God, the move was enough to warrant naming Drake “donkey of the day.”
