Spotify has legally responded to Drake’s recent petition, rejecting the rapper’s claims that it used bots and payola to artificially inflate the streaming numbers for Kendrick Lamar’s song “Not Like Us.” The motion, filed in a Manhattan court, asserts that Drake’s entire request for discovery is based on false premises, and Spotify strongly denies any such arrangement with Universal Music Group (UMG).
Spotify’s lawyers labeled Drake’s allegations as “far-fetched” and “speculative,” further criticizing the legal petition as an attempt to bypass normal legal procedures. They contended that Drake was seeking information he would only be entitled to in a full lawsuit, which would be easily dismissed in court. “What petitioner is seeking to do here … is to bypass the normal pleading requirements … and obtain by way of pre-action discovery that which it would only be entitled to seek were it to survive a motion to dismiss,” the motion states. “This subversion of the normal judicial process should be rejected.”
While UMG has yet to file a legal response, the company previously stated that “no amount of contrived and absurd legal arguments” could disguise the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear. Spotify reiterated this stance, asserting that civil Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) cases are difficult to prove even with substantial evidence. According to Spotify, Drake’s petition lacks specific facts to support the claims of RICO violations, instead relying on speculation and anonymous online sources.
Spotify’s Vice President of Music, David Kaefer, also provided an affidavit with the legal filing, highlighting the company’s commitment to combating artificial streaming. Kaefer emphasized that Spotify “invests heavily” in measures to prevent such manipulation, including removing suspicious streams, withholding royalties, and charging penalties when necessary. He further clarified that any confirmed or suspected artificial streams are excluded from chart calculations to protect fair royalty distribution for legitimate artists.
Drake’s legal team responded by stating that it was unsurprising for Spotify to distance itself from UMG’s alleged practices, adding, “If Spotify and UMG have nothing to hide, then they should be perfectly fine complying with this basic discovery request.”
