In November 2024, Frozen Moments LLC, Drake’s company, filed a New York petition alleging that Universal Music Group (UMG) and Spotify helped artificially boost the popularity of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.” The filing sought information and preservation of records ahead of possible litigation; it did not establish that either company manipulated streams. [Associated Press]
What Drake’s company alleged
Frozen Moments’ petition claimed that UMG and Spotify participated in inflating “Not Like Us”’s popularity and misleading listeners about its success. It alleged that UMG used tactics including bots, pay-to-play promotion and other methods to increase the track’s reach. Those were claims made in a petition, not findings by a court. [Associated Press]
![Not Like Us [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51iRmmOMrJL._SL160_.jpg)
The petition also alleged that UMG offered Spotify preferential licensing terms in return for recommending the track. Spotify later specifically denied that the companies had an arrangement to lower licensing rates in exchange for recommendations of “Not Like Us.” [Pitchfork]
How UMG and Spotify responded
A UMG spokesperson called the allegation that the company would undermine one of its artists “offensive and untrue,” and said UMG used the highest ethical practices in marketing and promotion. [Associated Press]
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In its court filing opposing the petition, Spotify disputed the alleged licensing-for-recommendations arrangement and argued that the request improperly used pre-action discovery. Spotify also said it had no economic incentive to have listeners stream this track rather than Drake’s tracks. These are the company’s responses, not court findings. [Pitchfork]
What happened to the petition—and what followed
- November 2024: Frozen Moments filed the New York pre-action petition seeking disclosure and preservation of information in anticipation of possible litigation. [Associated Press]
- December 2024: Spotify opposed the petition, challenged its procedural basis and denied the specific licensing arrangement alleged. [Pitchfork]
- January 2025: Drake withdrew the petition and filed a separate federal defamation lawsuit against UMG. The new case concerned the song’s content and its publication and promotion, rather than serving as a continuation of the pre-action petition. [Federal complaint]
- October 9, 2025: The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York dismissed the defamation case. The court concluded that the challenged statements were nonactionable opinion in the context of a rap battle. [Court opinion]
Why the defamation dismissal did not resolve the streaming allegations
The later federal case asked whether statements in “Not Like Us” could support a defamation claim. Judge Jeannette A. Vargas wrote that “a reasonable listener could not have concluded that ‘Not Like Us’ was conveying objective facts about Drake.” On that basis, the court granted UMG’s motion to dismiss. [Court opinion]
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That ruling addressed the meaning of the song’s statements, not whether UMG or Spotify artificially increased the track’s streams. The November petition was withdrawn, and the reviewed court materials do not report a judicial finding that the alleged streaming scheme did or did not occur. The available sources also do not establish whether an appeal of the defamation dismissal has been filed.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the streaming figure does—and does not—show
The October 2025 court opinion reported more than 1.4 billion Spotify streams globally as of April 2025, attributing the figure to Drake’s amended complaint. It is a dated count cited in a court document—not a finding about whether the streams were authentic or manipulated. [Court opinion]
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