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Drake Withdraws Legal Action Against UMG and Spotify

In a notable development, rapper Drake has opted to retract his legal complaint filed against Universal Music Group (UMG) and Spotify. The initial allegations suggested that these companies conspired to reduce streaming licensing costs for Kendrick Lamar’s track “Not Like Us” in exchange for heightened visibility and support.

According to a legal document filed in New York on Tuesday, which was reviewed by Rolling Stone, Drake’s record label, Frozen Moments, has formally backed out of its pre-action motions. These motions sought judicial orders for the disclosure and preservation of specific communications and documents pertaining to both UMG and Spotify.

At this time, there has been no response from representatives of Drake, UMG, or Spotify regarding this recent decision to withdraw.

As part of the initial legal proceedings in November, Drake’s legal team expressed intentions to investigate possible manipulations by UMG that could have inflated Kendrick Lamar’s track within streaming platforms. The allegations included claims of financial incentives related to Spotify and iHeartRadio, including the potential use of artificial means—like bots—to increase stream counts, along with accusations of defamation directed at Drake, as Lamar’s song labeled him a “certified pedophile.”

Following the allegations, a spokesperson from Spotify stated that the streaming platform had no financial motivation to promote “Not Like Us” over Drake’s own music. In reaction to Drake’s claims, Spotify filed an opposition brief emphasizing that the allegations lacked basis and called for the petition to be denied.

The brief articulated that Drake’s request for pre-action discovery hinged on a fabricated premise, asserting there was no underlying agreement between the parties involved that would justify the discovery of documents or the claims made by Drake’s team.

Source
www.rollingstone.com