Drake Withdraws Spotify, UMG lawsuit over diss track
January 15, 2025
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Drake will not continue legal action against Spotify and Universal Music Group following his public spat with Kendrick Lamar.
The Canadian rapper sued the music streamer and the record label last year, accusing them of scheming with each other to uplift one of Lamar’s songs over his.
Why It Matters
Drake— whose given name is Aubrey Drake Graham— was embroiled in a heated feud with Lamar in early 2023 and each released multiple ‘diss tracks’ against each other after years of enmity.
Drake attends a game between the Houston Rockets and the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 16, 2024 in Houston, Texas. The rapper withdrew his lawsuit against UMG and Spotify. Drake attends a game between the Houston Rockets and the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 16, 2024 in Houston, Texas. The rapper withdrew his lawsuit against UMG and Spotify. Carmen Mandato/Getty Images
But when Lamar’s “Not Like Us” diss track went viral and topped music charts globally, Drake reacted by alleging Spotify and UMG came up with an illegal scheme to boost the song. In the November lawsuit, Drake and his Frozen Moments company accused them of using bots to inflate streaming numbers and that UMG offered Spotify discounted licensing fees on “Not Like Us.”
UMG distributes both Drake and Lamar’s music.
What We Know
Drake and his company withdrew the lawsuit on Tuesday.
The “Hotline Bling” rapper withdrew the legal motion, which had requested documents and communications from UMG and Spotify.
Newsweek contacted Drake’s representatives by email on Wednesday morning.
Earlier this month, Drake released a statement about the lawsuit before it was withdrawn saying he wanted to hold the music industry accountable for its alleged practices.
He compared UMG’s alleged scheme to, “Nike funding a campaign about LeBron cheating on his wife.” He emphasized that the lawsuit is not about personal grievances but about holding UMG accountable for its actions. “This isn’t about street shit,” he stated, highlighting his broader goal of advocating for artist rights and fair treatment in the industry.
UMG and Spotify denied Drake’s accusations when he filed the lawsuit in November.
“The suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue,” the record company wrote in a statement to Variety. “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.”
In the song, “Not Like Us”, Lamar accused Drake of being a “certified pedophile,” sexual misconduct and cultural appropriation. It has received five nominations for next month’s Grammy awards, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
What People Have Said
At the time Drake filed the lawsuit many legal and music industry experts reacted to it, with top entertainment lawyer Kevin Casini describing it as “whining.”
Casini told Rolling Stone in November that the lawsuit “really only serves to bring more attention to the lyrics that Drake finds offensive or objectionable. And I think the streaming numbers for the song will just go up again.”
Others also said if Drake followed through with the lawsuit it could put his career at risk by falling out of favor with major stakeholders, such as record companies and streaming platforms.
“I think if Drake goes to war with UMG, he’s getting washed. I’m sorry, Drake is not bigger than the program,” said DJ Akademiks, a friend of Drake’s, during a livestream in December.
What’s Next
Drake is headlining his seventh live music tour, which begins on February 4 in Perth, Australia.
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