Whereas Kendrick Lamar is basking within the glory of the discharge of his new GNX album, he’s additionally surrounded by controversy. On Monday (Nov. 25), his nemesis Drake filed not one however two pre-action petitions accusing Common Music Group of conspiring with Spotify and iHeartRadio to artificially inflate Kendrick’s “Not Like Us” numbers through the use of bots and payola. One declare within the courtroom filings accuses UMG of eradicating the copyright restictions on “Not Like Us” as a tactic to foster the unfold of the monitor. A transfer that was beforehand thought to have been carried out on Ok-Dot’s half so content material creators may monetize movies utilizing the tune.
Drake’s preliminary 17-page courtroom submitting contains many stunning claims, together with the allegation that UMG supplied under-the-table funds to platforms to advertise “Not Like Us” to his detriment. A technique Drake’s attorneys declare UMG boosted the monitor was by eradicating restrictions that might not enable individuals to monetize movies utilizing the tune on social media and streaming platforms like YouTube and TikTok.
“And in a sea-change for UMG’s inner coverage, UMG eliminated the Tune’s copyright restrictions on YouTube and Twitch, thereby ‘whitelisting’ the Tune (for the primary time in UMG historical past), which additional incentivized influencers to unfold the Tune,” Drake attorneys write within the courtroom submitting.
This calls into query a transfer that was initially seen to be as altruistic on Dot’s half. Again in Could, Kendrick was getting props from response video makers. Streamer NoLifeShaq praised Kendrick for permitting streamers like him to make use of the tune with out getting flagged.
“Everyone was in a position to eat off this beef,” NoLifeShaq stated in a livestrem in Could. “And for Kendrick Lamar to double again and take into consideration the response group and take away all copyrights from the tune, Kendrick Lamar is a W mans.”
Drake additionally reportedly eliminated copyright restrictions on his diss songs in an identical transfer. Nevertheless, it’s also unclear if he personally made the change. Each Drake and Kendrick are underneath the UMG umbrella with Kendrick being distributed via Interscope and Drake being signed with Republic.
Common Music Group is denying Drake’s accusations of collusion. A spokesperson for the corporate has launched the next assertion to XXL in response to Drake’s claims: “The suggestion that UMG would do something to undermine any of its artists is offensive and unfaithful,” the assertion reads. “We make use of the best moral practices in our advertising and promotional campaigns. No quantity of contrived and absurd authorized arguments on this pre-action submission can masks the truth that followers select the music they wish to hear.”
XXL has reached out to UMG and Kendrick Lamar’s staff for remark concerning the copyright elimination.
Learn Extra: Right here Are the Surprising Particulars of Drake’s Accusations In opposition to UMG and Spotify, Alleging the Firms Artificially Inflated Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us”
See 10 of the Finest Easter Eggs From Kendrick Lamar’s GNX Album and “Squabble Up” Music Video
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