Drake’s Legal Battle with UMG and Spotify Takes an Unexpected Turn

Drake has abruptly withdrawn one of the petitions he filed against the industry giants Universal Music Group (UMG) and Spotify. The Toronto rap superstar initially accused the companies of conspiring to inflate streaming numbers for Kendrick Lamar’s now-classic diss song, “Not Like Us.”

His claim said they allegedly deliberately pushed it to the top of the charts to undermine Drake’s dominance. But on January 14, the 6 God backed down—at least partially.

Drake officially withdrew his petition in the state of New York, following a reportedly tense sit-down with representatives from UMG and Spotify earlier in the day. The rapper’s legal team confirmed that no costs would be levied against any party as a result of the withdrawal.

The petition in Texas, which is very similar, remains active.

Fans and industry insiders alike have speculated about Drake’s motivations. Some opined the rapper lacked sufficient evidence and ohers suggested a possible behind-the-scenes agreement with UMG and Spotify.

Spotify vehemently denied any wrongdoing, releasing a terse statement in December that stated, “The predicate of Petitioner’s entire request for discovery from Spotify is false. Spotify and UMG have never had any such arrangement.”

Drake forged ahead and responded with an equally strong statement. “It is unsurprising that Spotify is trying to distance themselves from UMG’s allegedly manipulative practices. If Spotify and UMG have nothing to hide, then they should be perfectly fine complying with this basic discovery request.”