Spotify has denied Drake's claims that streaming numbers for Kendrick Lamar's song "Not Like Us" were artificially inflated. Drake accused Spotify and his label, Universal Music Group, of boosting Lamar's numbers and defamation. UMG refuted the accusations, stating they follow ethical marketing practices. Drake filed legal actions against UMG in Texas, alleging defamation and a pay-to-play scheme with iHeart to promote the song. The legal actions are pre-action filings to gather information for potential future lawsuits, with Drake considering claims of civil fraud and racketeering against UMG.
Source: https://variety.com/2024/music/news/spotify-slams-drake-claim-inflated-kendrick-lamar-streams-1236256265/