Known for his controversial commentary, comedian Charleston White shared his opinion on Drake’slawsuit against Universal Music Group in a new interview released Saturday (Nov. 30). The Dallas native slammed Drizzy’s legal action over “Not Like Us,” calling the rap star “weak” for not accepting defeat in battle with Kendrick Lamar. “Weak a$$, yellow n***a cryin’, but he always had the Jews behind him; how is he claiming it’s unfair?” White tells Real Lyfe Street Starz. “Just enjoy the money. Let the little, short Kendrick have his win. Come on, all that money you got.”
White elaborated on his response, acknowledging Drake’s Memphis roots and white mother. “That’s ‘yellow’ kid with the white momma tryna come hang out in the Memphis projects with his black cousins and gotta stay on the porch. Cause they know you can’t go out there and play with them kids. Yeah, Aubrey, whatever that man’s name is. That man’s name says he is “weak.” Aubrey can’t play with no Kendrick. Kendrick Lamar been getting him up. You heard his story. That man grew up rough. Yeah, get yo a$$ back on that porch, Aubrey. F*ck wrong with you. Them kids will eat you alive.”
Drake referenced his Memphis roots in the past on songs like “Worst Behavior.” In the song’s music video, Drizzy visited his family in Memphis and hung out with the city’s legends Three-Six Mafia. The 6 God’s lawsuit claims Universal Music Group helped damage his reputation using various “payola” tactics. According to UMG, the claims are false, and the rapper should sue his rival instead. Drake filed a second lawsuit against UMG in Texas court last week.
In the interview, White discusses his run-in with Dallas rap star Trapboy Freddy, religion, and his new movie role. The comedian is known to pepper spray his aggressors. Others to have beef with Charleston White in 2024 include T.I. and fellow comedian T.K. Kirkland.
There are so many theories and interpretations when it comes to Drake’s legal move against Universal Music Group and Spotify that it completely moves past the Kendrick Lamar beef into something much greater. Moreover, DJ Akademiks has unsurprisingly covered this petition extensively, and he recently offered some more thoughts as to what could’ve provoked this. The general theory is that Drizzy actually wants out of his UMG contract and has unsuccessfully tried to negotiate a better deal for himself. The success of “Not Like Us” was the final straw, and what seemed to show him that the music industry will kick him out as quickly as they welcomed him in.
Basically, DJ Akademiks posited that UMG was also angry at Drake for working with their competitors, which then led to unfulfilled renegotiations. Some examples that the media personality brought up include an OVO deal with a Sony Music joint venture, the Toronto superstar’s previous affiliation with Warner, and his support of Gamma and new artists like Sexyy Red. He spread his influence throughout the whole industry, and UMG is allegedly and hypocritically peeved at this search of monopoly.
Dj Akademiks says universal music group didn’t like Drake doing business with their competitors like Todd Moscowitz and gamma music group and building up new artist like Sexyy Red pic.twitter.com/HyISbLFFlU
Meanwhile, other commentators and hip-hop cultural figures chose to play the comparison game rather than look at Drake’s actions individually. For example, during a recent episode of the My Expert Opinion podcast, Math Hoffa claimed that UMG actually favored Kendrick Lamar’s deal over the 6ix God’s because they benefitted more from those splits. Many pushed back against this allegedly inaccurate narrative that Kendrick makes them more money than Aubrey, but it’s a valid assumption when none of us really know for sure.
Regardless of what will happen with this legal petition and the precedent it could set, it’s very clear that Drake will endure a very strained relationship with UMG moving forward. We wouldn’t express shock if their partnership completely fell out, or if UMG fought tooth and nail to keep him under their watchful eye and commercial control. After all, the OVO mogul is an absolute titan of the industry. But with so many doubts and assumptions, we’re hoping for some clarification.
Amid Drake filing a legal petition that accused Universal Music Group and Spotify of artificially inflating the commercial performance of “Not Like Us,” The Joe Budden Podcast took a trip down memory lane during a recent episode. Specifically, they debated this move in relation to Drizzy supposedly seeking to negotiate for a more bountiful contract and to his own profits in the industry. Budden brought up a conversation with Gamma CEO Larry Jackson, who alleged that the Toronto superstar’s catalog is worth more than the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s combined. This eventually led to a few different proposed pathways.
First, Joe Budden posited that Drake needs to “go in that corner” and renegotiate with absolutely everyone in his efforts to make his worth clear. But Ice pushed back on this narrative, positing that he could face an uphill battle if UMG refuses to pay him more or shuts his negotiations down. However, Budden argued that the OVO mogul most definitely has a way out if he isn’t happy with how the negotiations develop. Ish tied this in further with some other moves such as unconventional cover art, and that he meant this legal action as a “f**k you” to the label and as a way to get out of his contract.
The Joe Budden Podcast Discusses Drake’s Worth & Label Issues
Joe budden talks about the time former Apple Music executive Larry Jackson told him Drake catalogue is worth more than the 60s,70s,80s and 90s combined pic.twitter.com/VWvcKyVIxk
In fact, The Joe Budden Podcast took it a step further and theorized that these anti-label moves could extend to the quality of Drake’s recent output. Certified Lover Boy was all throwaways in the group’s opinion, and his perceived lack of effort might result from these supposed label issues. Of course, we doubt that The Boy himself would characterize his art as such, so this might reach a little farther across the aisle than necessary.
But to wrap things up, The Joe Budden Podcast – specifically its titular host – posited that too many parties have a “vested interest” in keeping Drake under a label structure. Whether or not this legal filing actually succeeds in court is a mystery for Father Time, but its implications and impact could still be massive. We’ll see whether or not this changes history or simply repeats it.
Drake caused a massive uproar thanks to his legal petition against Universal Music Group and Spotify for their alleged artificial inflation of “Not Like Us” in terms of sales. The news even hit mainstream media, and CNN recently asked journalist Sowmya Krishnamurthy about the whole endeavor. Specifically, they went over Drizzy’s claim that Apple’s Siri would play “Not Like Us” when asked about Certified Lover Boy, which became one of the more viral tech-related stories from the Kendrick Lamar battle. Krishnamurthy explained that there are multiple nuanced reasons as to why this occurred for some people that deserve an explanation.
“So I’m going to be honest,” Sowmya Krishnamurthy explained concerning the Drake and Kendrick Lamar situation. “I actually did the test during this time, and it did work. When you said, ‘Hey Siri, play Certified Lover Boy,’ it did play ‘Not Like Us.’ It did, yes. I actually posted a video on my YouTube and social media. But I think we all knew that it was pulling from the lyrics. So I think Apple could have an argument that people were searching for that song, or that’s what their algorithm was kicking up. Because it is not just titles, but also lyrics. So there’s a little bit of nuance there.”
Journalist Breaks Down Drake’s Petition Over Kendrick Lamar’s Diss Track
Journalist Sowmya Krishnamurthy on CNN admits that when you would ask Siri to play the drake song certified lover boy it would play the Kendrick Lamar song not like us pic.twitter.com/0VkyuxKfVf
“Yeah, that’s what a lot of industry insiders are saying,” Sowmya Krishnamurthy replied when asked about whether it’s plausible that Drake could’ve benefitted from the same alleged practices that Kendrick Lamar allegedly benefitted from. “For the entirety of his career, Drake really has enjoyed this privilege. Being an industry darling, being the most streamed artist on Spotify for hip-hop. Even now, like, the last time I checked, his monthly uniques on Spotify are more than Kendrick. If we go back to 2018, there was a huge campaign where every single Spotify playlist was Drake. Whether it was hip-hop, pop, country, gospel. So these campaigns by these streaming services or companies, they’re not uncommon. But the question is, is Drake now bitter or whining because he’s not the beneficiary?”
“I think a lot,” Sowmya Krishnamurthy answered a question about how much this hurts Drake’s credibility. “You know, it’s one thing to lose a rap battle… [shake] the hand of your adversary and say, ‘Hey, good game.’ I think that’s good sportsmanship. But this, to me, just really seems like whining. It seems like when things don’t go as well. I think you alluded to this earlier. It has that very much ‘Stop the steal’ energy. That doesn’t do too well in hip-hop.”
Everyone went up in arms when Drake launched a legal petition against Universal Music Group and Spotify, but he’s got some people in his corner. Moreover, he accused his major label and the streaming service of collusion that sought to artificially inflate the commercial success of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” diss track in order to damage him. Some folks disagree with the move, but others like Azealia Banks are fully behind The Boy.
“Oh drake DEFINITELY has the gun,” Azealia Banks claimed in response to a fan’s critiques. “He’s about to crook umg and spotify on some minor legal formalities and actually be the first rapper in history to stage a heist of such epic proportions. It’s really such a lethal chess move when you really examine it. He’s going to subpoena literally every platforms records, they will not be able to cook the books- and *discover* (expose) all the shady backend parts of music streaming no one really understands… then they will all have to prove that drake is a pedophile which would make UMG and spotify look r***rded if they even did, kendrick is not going to be able to perform they not like us, and jayz is going to have officially been bodied by a singing n***a…..
Oh drake DEFINITELY has the gun. He’s about to crook umg and spotify on some minor legal formalities and actually be the first rapper in history to stage a heist of such epic proportions. It’s really such a lethal chess move when you really examine it. He’s going to subpoena… https://t.co/vhIwRfGjFD
Either way I’m so perched. I’m genuinely interested on how this will turn out. This shit is 100% about to become music industry case law whichever way it goes. People all like “oh drake is soft and blah blah,” but it’s tru I y refreshing to not see a contemporary rap beef end up… https://t.co/6f2dJELa0l
“everyone is going to gag at how this plays out,” Azealia Banks continued concerning the Drake situation. “It’s better to watch and understand what’s happening then get emotionally involved or pick sides, we’re about to watch the girls BATTLE honey yaaass. […] Either way I’m so perched. I’m genuinely interested on how this will turn out. This s**t is 100% about to become music industry case law whichever way it goes. People all like “oh drake is soft and blah blah,” but it’s tru I y refreshing to not see a contemporary rap beef end up in violence. This is some s**t my nerdy a** can get behind.”
Meanwhile, it seems like Drake continues to clean out his circle after some surprising Instagram unfollows. It was a pretty petty move, but just like with this petition, a lot of people understand it.
Drake apparently likes to be petty and unfollow his opps on social media, whether it’s as surefire as Kendrick Lamar or as seemingly meaningless as LeBron James. However, the reasons as to why he takes people off his Instagram are always combative, as he usually tries to send a message via these “cosigns.” Of course, the 6ix God is pretty corny for using social media in this way and treating follows and comments like gospel – see his version of “The Heart Part 6” for some disgusting proof of that. But it looks like he will still engage with this approach, even amid his most controversial move perhaps ever.
Moreover, Timbaland recently commented under an Instagram post that asked whether or not Drake could win a $2 billion lawsuit and “declare war on the music industry” as a result. The producer posted a shaking head, and this is allegedly what made Drizzy supposedly unfollow him. Still, when DJ Akademiks covered this alleged development on Instagram, TImbo actually responded in his comments section and provided an explanation. “That head shake means let the story play out,” he wrote. “Mal might b on to something. They say you have to destroy to rebuild!!!”
As such, it seems like Drake reacted brashly to just a vague and easily excusable reaction, which should show you how petty thinking can warp your actions. Then again, there’s also a very good chance that he and Timbaland might share some more serious beef that we have no idea about. Either way, the beat-maker is one of many hip-hop icons who weighed in on this UMG and Spotify petition. Others were much more critical, though, such as Uncle Luke’s assessment of a “soft” display.
Meanwhile, Drake continues to be a frequent name in conversations, even when he’s not really doing that much to warrant discussion. For example, J. Cole recently alleged that Jay-Z once told Aubrey to give Cole a hit in an embarrassing way, and we didn’t really hear about his reaction. These interpersonal industry dynamics are tough to navigate, and they can lead to plenty of strife.
The rap world has been watching Drake’s actions very clearly in 2024. Everything the artist has done has been scrutinized and analyzed ad nauseam. There’s been some positive, but a whole lot of negative. This has especially been true since Drake decided to file a pre-action lawsuit against UMG. The emcee claims that the record label conspired to boost the streams of Kendrick Lamar’s diss “Not Like Us.” Whether or not there is validity to this claim is irrelevant in the court of public opinion. Drake is being clowned, and genre icons like Uncle Luke believe he’s being soft.
Uncle Luke took to social media on Friday to discuss the pre-action lawsuit. He laid his cards on the table, and admitted he liked Drake’s music. He didn’t like the way the rapper has handled the fallout of the Kendrick Lamar battle, however. “I don’t like what he got going on right now but I like his music,” he explained. Uncle Luke proceeded to criticize Drake. “You don’t talk about certain things,” he explained. “You don’t talk about Payola. Don’t talk about buying live streams and you don’t sue after you got dissed.”
Drake’s decision to violate these seemingly unspoken rules has rubbed Uncle Luke the wrong way. The 2 Live Crew rapper didn’t lay the blame solely at Drake’s feet, though. He claimed that younger generation rappers are more sensitive. “Y’all young people live in a soft society,” he opined. “That’s why I’m glad I’m an OG. All y’all young people soft!” Uncle Luke was frustrated by the fact that Drake is taking legal action over a beef that should have been settled on wax. Or, worst case scenario, as he put it, with “fists.”
Uncle Luke used himself as an example of how to “properly” handle a rap battle. “Me and Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg dissed each other,” he noted. “The kids, off limits. The girlfriend, off limits. Mama off limit. Just keep it a buck.” The irony here, of course, is that Drake and Kendrick Lamar did not adhere to these limits. They brought up each others kids, each other’s significant others and each other’s mothers. It got messy. Despite Drake’s willingness to get personal, though, the “soft” label is sticking to him harder than ever before.
While there is no Round 2 when it comes to the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef, there is certainly another chapter to the latter’s changing relationship with the music industry. Now, it’s in the form of a legal petition accusing Universal Music Group and Spotify of illegally and artificially boosting the sales numbers of “Not Like Us” through payola practices and botting. It’s obviously been an incredibly controversial move in hip-hop discourse, and also an ominously unprecedented choice that left many fans wondering what could happen next. DJ Akademiks is quite skeptical of this petition’s success, as even if it does happen, it could come at a massive cost.
During his most recent livestream, the media personality posited that Drake’s petition could change the music industry forever, as it would have to meet the standards of this hypothetically landmark case. However, he thinks that the more likely scenario is that Universal Music Group will basically make an example out of the 6ix God and hand down severe punishment. This not only applies in court, per DJ Akademiks’ assessment, but also when it comes to their treatment of Drizzy as an artist.
Dj Akademiks warns Drake that universal muslc is known for humbling artists . jimmy iovine shut 50 cent down at the peak of his career he gave The Game and L and they gave Kanye west a L pic.twitter.com/d7sgKUbpqE
For example, Ak posited that Drake should release his upcoming collab album with PARTYNEXTDOOR via his independent “100 GIGS” venture rather than through Universal Music Group, as they could sabotage it. He also brought up multiple other examples of rappers and artists like Kanye West, Diddy, and 50 Cent eventually facing industry pushback for their transgressions against the machine. Of course, those are wildly different cases, but you get the idea. In fact, DJ Akademiks proposed that the only celebrities who successfully forced the machine to meet their terms were Taylor Swift and Dave Chappelle, and that everyone else became a martyr to some degree.
Finally, Akademiks spoke on how this is a particularly big move because it’s not towards just any division or executive, but rather the highest higher-ups at Universal Music Group. He thinks that this will cause an especially damaging disaster for Drake. But at the end of the day, neither DJ Akademiks nor anyone else’s knowledge and inferences can predict what will happen for sure.
Drake remains one of the highest streamed musicians in the world but still, “Not Like Us” allegedly damaged his career, according to two new pre-action petitions. Earlier this week, the rapper’s attorneys filed two separate court documents requesting for UMG to preserve evidence pertaining to the success of Kendrick Lamar’s hit record. The first case targeted UMG and Spotify with claims of violating RICO and manipulating streams through botting and influencers. The second filing calls out UMG and iHeartMedia on claims of defamation. Below, we’ve broken down both filings.
The petition outlines a strategy by UMG to artificially inflate the popularity of “Not Like Us.” This included using bots to generate fake streams, making undisclosed payments to Spotify for song promotion, and engaging in payola (illegal payments) to radio stations. Additionally, UMG reportedly paid influencers and social media platforms to promote the song without transparency about these financial arrangements.
A core issue is the “strategic partnership” between Spotify and UMG, which the petition describes as an effort to “amplify music discovery and social interaction and enhance fan experiences across the platform.” Moreover, the petition also claims that UMG, which entered a global license agreement with Spotify in 2020, charged the streaming service 30% less to license “Not Like Us” in exchange “for Spotify affirmatively recommending the Song to users who are searching for other unrelated songs and artists” without disclosing this information to the public.
The Debunked Theories
Drake used my video in his (pre action) lawsuit against UMG
I made a video showing that Siri was taking you to “Not Like Us” when you asked to play “certified lover boy” on Spotify. I later showed this was because of lyric recognition. But they didn’t include that part lol pic.twitter.com/tEZQCrVM0s
An interesting part about this document is that it points out several viral headlines since the song’s release. In one part, it alleged that Apple’s Siri redirected listeners who wanted to listen to Certified Lover Boy to Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” in which Kendrick uses Drake’s album title as a lyric, based on reporting by Jeremy Hecht and an article from Vibe Magazine.
“On information and believe, UMG paid, or approved payments to, Apple Inc. to have its voice-activated digital assistant ‘Siri’ purposely misdirect users to ‘Not Like Us.’ Online sources reported that when users asked Siri to play the album ‘Certified Loverboy’ by recording artist Aubrey Drake Graham d/b/a Drake, Siri instead played ‘Not Like Us,’ which contains the lyric ‘certified pedophile,’ an allegation against Drake,” the filing reads. While a hefty allegation, Hecht later clarified that Siri used lyric recognition.
Drake, through Frozen Moments, claims economic harm from UMG’s actions. The aggressive promotion of “Not Like Us” created a zero-sum scenario in the music industry, where one song’s success can hinder another artist’s opportunities. UMG’s alleged favoritism toward Kendrick Lamar directly impacted the visibility and profitability of Drake’s own music.
Frozen Moments also highlights UMG’s attempts to deflect blame. Instead of addressing Drake’s grievances, UMG suggested legal action against Lamar and threatened counterclaims if Drake pursued them. Moreover, the filing alleges that “UMG has been taking steps in an apparent effort to conceal its schemes, including, but not limited to, by terminating employees associated with or perceived as having loyalty to Drake.”
What Exactly Does Drake Want?
Mar 4, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Rap artist Drake celebrates a basket by the Toronto Raptors against the Portland Trail Blazers at Air Canada Centre. The Raptors beat the Trail Blazers 117-115. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports via Imagn
The petition is filed under New York law to request pre-action discovery, a process that allows evidence gathering before filing a formal lawsuit. Frozen Moments seeks to substantiate claims under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), alleging wire fraud and bribery, and under New York’s Deceptive Business Practices and False Advertising Acts. To build the case, the petition asks the court to compel UMG and Spotify to release documents, including records of payments to third parties for song promotion, information about bot usage for fake streams, and details of licensing agreements and financial arrangements between UMG and Spotify. Frozen Moments also seeks a court order requiring UMG and Spotify to preserve all related communications and documents. The concern is that critical evidence, such as social media messages and text communications, may be lost if not safeguarded during the legal process.
After news broke, UMG issued a statement to Variety regarding the “absurb” claims. “The suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue,” a rep said. “We employ the highest ethical practices in our marketing and promotional campaigns. No amount of contrived and absurd legal arguments in this pre-action submission can mask the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear.”
Drake Vs. UMG & iHeartMedia
The day after filing the petition in New York, Drake filed another legal petition against Universal Music Group in Texas, along with iHeartMedia, in Texas. This time, the Canadian star is accusing UMG of orchestrating a deceptive promotional campaign for Kendrick’s “Not Like Us” while simultaneously causing damages to Drake’s reputation and career. Under Texas Rule 202, Drake is attempting to, once again, gather substantial evidence before filing a formal lawsuit against the aforementioned parties. Let’s break down the second petition that Drake filed this week.
Defamation & Botting Claims
Nov 2, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Canadian recording artist Drake (center, black outfit) watches the action between the Sacramento Kings and Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
The second filing echoes similar sentiments of streaming manipulation and payola. However, at the core of this petition is accusations of defamation. “Not Like Us,” which Drake claims includes defamatory language such as “certified pedophile” and labeling him a “predator,” was released under UMG’s watch. However, Drake believes that the label had the authority to either refuse the song’s release or at the very least, demand changes to the lyrics. The rapper claims that UMG, instead, chose to exploit the controversy for financial gain which, in turn, caused harm to his business. Drake’s petition also accuses UMG of manipulating platforms like Spotify and radio airwaves to falsely inflate the song’s popularity. This alleged manipulation includes the use of bots, undisclosed payments to influencers and platforms, and “payola”—a term referring to secret payments to radio stations to play certain songs, which is illegal under U.S. law.
The petition outlines several allegations against UMG and their alleged partnership with iHeartRadio. Similar to the New York filing, this petition details claims of an alleged manipulation scheme to enhance the popularity and streams of “Not Like Us” in an attempt to boost profits for UMG. These include using bots to artificially boost “Not Like Us” streaming numbers and citing an alleged whistleblower who they claimed received thousands of dollars to help the song garner over 30 million streams on Spotify in the days after its release. Moreover, Drake claims that UMG also paid influencers to promote the song without disclosing the financial relationship–a violation of advertising transparency laws.
Then, there are the claims of payola. Drake believes that UMG funneled payments to radio stations, specifically those under iHeartRadio, to make sure “Not Like Us” gained heavy radio play in the months after the feud. Legally speaking, this is an alleged violation of the Communications Act of 1934. This also goes hand-in-hand with the claims that UMG orchestrated an elaborate marketing campaign to use discretionary funds to pay unknown third parties to promote the song, inflate its metrics, and as a result, drive media attention.
As mentioned above, a primary focus point in this article is defamation. The filing suggests that UMG greenlit the song to streaming services and radio. Considering the language used in the song, Drake claims UMG did little to prevent the accusations of pedophilia from proliferating across official streaming services and radio. Even more, he believes it was done in an attempt to profit off of the controversy.
iHeartMedia’s Alleged Role
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 10: Rapper Drake attends day eight of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 10, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)
In regards to iHeartMedia, the largest audio media company in the U.S. that owns hundreds of radio stations, Drake’s petition hopes to put the company’s alleged role under the microscope. The petition suggests that iHeartMedia played a significant role in UMG’s campaign by promoting “Not Like Us” across their platforms. Because of this, Drake is hoping to uncover whether iHeartMedia accepted undisclosed payments from UMG in exchange for prioritizing the song on the airwaves.
Due to the song’s popularity and constant rotation, Drake’s legal team argues that iHeartMedia cooperated in amplifying the harm caused to his career. This petition also highlights the financial relationship between UMG and iHeartRadio. According to the court documents, iHeartMedia pays UMG licensing fees to play its artists’ songs. This allegedly gives UMG leverage in what music gets airtime. Because of this, Drake’s legal team wants to explore whether the financial dynamic allowed UMG to manipulate radio play for “Not Like Us.”
What Drake Hopes to Uncover
Drake’s petition asks the court to authorize depositions from representatives of UMG and iHeartMedia. He wants access to evidence of financial transactions, communications, and internal documents that could confirm the use of bots, payola, and undisclosed promotional payments. This includes records of payments made to influencers, radio stations, and social media platforms, evidence of bot usage to inflate streaming numbers; and details of licensing agreements and financial benefits exchanged between UMG and iHeartMedia. Additionally, Drake is requesting that UMG preserve all related communications and data out of concern that evidence might otherwise be destroyed or concealed.
This pre-action filing could put a spotlight on the transparency and fairness in the music industry, or the lack thereof. However, it all depends on whether the court determines that there is substance to these allegations. If the evidence supports Drake’s claims, Drake could pursue lawsuits against UMG, iHeartMedia, and Spotify. Still, this could also expose possible tactics that Drake used in his career, too. Whether or not Drake has also used bots and payola in his career remains unclear, though if it turns out to be the case, then there might be some sort of reevaluation of the streaming records that he’s broken. At the same time, this could effectively expose the alleged malpractices of the music industry as a whole. For better or for worse, Drake might be the catalyst to change industry practices indefinitely.
The media and the internet have been casting heavy aspersions on Drake since his two pre-action petition filings earlier this week. Both are in relation to UMG, Spotify, and Kendrick Lamar’s viral diss record, “Not Like Us.” The first of which is more of a legal barrage on the first two subjects for allegedly artificially inflating the streaming numbers of the song. In that same petition, he’s also accusing UMG (Universal Music Group) of going against the RICO Act, and using payola, bots and more to carry out their plan.
Then, there’s the defamation side of things, in which Drake claims that UMG could have and should have prevented the release of “Not Like Us.” The bars suggesting he’s a ped*phile he affirms are nowhere near true, therefore it should have shut down the track from seeing the light of day. While the direct criticism of Drake is apropos, radio host at Hot 97, Peter Rosenberg, feels some of that should go to the Canadian MC’s team as well. It’s reasonable to propose this, as they are the ones who have to speak on their client’s behalf in these types of scenarios.
Peter Rosenberg Is Echoing Most Of The Public’s Opinion On Drake’s Moves
Feb 1, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Recording artist/rapper Drake performs during the Revolt Party at the Time Warner Cable Studios. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports via Imagn Images
He shared his disappointment and comments with TMZ Hip Hop, and overall, he’s just in pure disbelief. His thoughts on the matter are nothing new, as people like Meek Mill and Shannon Sharpe for instance feel he should have just let it go. But he’s also feeling like Drake is just trying anything and everything and hoping something works in his favor.
Rosenberg was also highly critical of the “Taylor Made Freestyle” and also took issue with Drake pushing Kendrick Lamar’s buttons. Obviously, we all know how that went. Despite all of the head-scratching moves from the artist and his reps, Rosenberg thinks his defamation petition does have a chance of paying off. In that same breath though, he strongly believes doing that shortly after the release of “Not Like Us” would have made more sense. At this point, Drake’s reputation and image is serious question and it may take a while for it to go back to what it was.
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(@Charlestonwhyt) December 1, 2024
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