The rapper Drake is accusing the record label Universal Music Group, UMG, and Spotify of illegally driving up the number of streams of Kendrick Lamar's Grammy-nominated hit song "Not like us".
Pitchfork has obtained court documents where lawyers from Drake's company Frozen Moment LLC are trying to show that Universal and Spotify are using bots, secret payments, and false advertising to increase the streams.
The lawyers also claim that UMG has paid Apple to have the service Siri play "Not like us" when listeners ask Siri to play Drake's album "Certified lover boy".
Universal is denying all allegations and responds in a statement: "The claim that UMG would do anything to undermine any of the company's artists is insulting and untrue. We use the highest ethical methods in our marketing and advertising campaigns."
Drake and Kendrick Lamar have been feuding with each other since the beginning of the 2010s.
