Megan Thee Stallion’s go-to producer, LilJuMadeDaBeat, appears to have an issue with Spotify and everyone’s love for the streaming platform. As the platform unveiled its highly anticipated year-end stats on Wednesday (Dec. 4), LilJu took to social media to express his frustration with the streaming giant’s payout practices. “I hate that y’all actually use Spotify instead of literally ANY other streaming service. They pay us the least,” he wrote on X. Before the producer, the late Nipsey Hussle advised artists to promote the one-time Jay-Z-owned Tidal streaming platform to fans as the streaming service paid the most out of the others in royalties.
Spotify’s year-end data dominated conversations, revealing its most-streamed global artists of 2024. Apple Music and Spotify have been trending, with Drake filing a lawsuit against Universal Music Group over “Not Like Us.” While Drake shined on Spotify, Kendrick Lamar seized the upper hand on Apple Music. A part of the iconic beef between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, “Not Like Us” emerged as the platform’s most-played song worldwide for 2024. Before his beef with Kendrick, Drake and Megan Thee Stallion exchanged disses, with LilJuMadeDaBeat being mentioned.
The spotlight on “Not Like Us” intensified in recent weeks following a legal dispute between Drake and Universal Music Group (UMG). At the center of the controversy, Drake accused UMG of artificially inflating the track’s popularity through streaming bots and payola. He also alleged defamation, claiming the company knowingly released a song accusing him of being a pedophile. UMG, which oversees both Drake’s label Republic and Kendrick’s home at Interscope, has not publicly addressed the allegations.
Since Drake’s legal filings on Nov. 25, “Not Like Us” has seen a surge in popularity. According to Talk of the Charts, sales of the track skyrocketed by 440%, with streaming numbers rising by 20%. The diss song has also climbed 16 spots on Spotify’s Global chart, cementing its place as one of the year’s most polarizing and talked-about releases.
One of the most controversial chapters of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle actually has nothing to do with it. Instead, it’s about the latter filing a legal petition against Universal Music Group and Spotify. The 6ix God accused UMG (his label) and the streaming service of artificially boosting Kendrick’s “Not Like Us” diss track against Drizzy, and this move caused a firestorm within hip-hop culture and beyond. But some folks out there are all for it, such as Slim Thug.
“Drake suing them people? I hope the n***a win,” Slim Thug expressed during a recent Instagram Live session. “‘Cause they say, if he sue them people, them labels gon’ have to FDCA-approve that s**t, however you say that s**t, whatever it is. So they can stop them from f***ing buying up all the playlist, the major labels. He ain’t lying, though. Drake ain’t lying. Them n***as be buying that s**t up.”
“I don’t think [that’s what the petition’s about],” Slim Thug answered when his friend asked whether Drake’s petition relates to Kendrick Lamar accusing him of inappropriate behavior with minors, and about how Drizzy’s own team probably ran numbers up artificially or benefitted from that alleged practice. “I think he’s suing Universal for running up old boy’s numbers. Yeah, I don’t know. I’m sure he know because he probably benefitted off of that s**t for so long, working with old boy. So that’s good, though, yeah, get all that s**t out the way. Let the independent n***as get back up, ’cause they got that s**t so monopolized. Yeah, I hope the n***a wins. S**t, I hope we can be independent and don’t have to deal with all of those labels buying all the playlists up. This s**t for sale. Ain’t nothing real no more. Everything is motherf***ing fake now.”
Elsewhere, Drake is also thinking about where else to get his money, as he allegedly considering buying shares in Jay-Z’s Reasonable Doubt that previously belonged to Dame Dash. So he’s not just placing all his bets on this petition. But as much as Slim Thug knows how good this specific move could be for the industry at large, it will still be a huge risk, not as simple of a solution as he assumes, and a massive backpedal from one of the industry’s most profitable leaders.
Dame Dash has previously been quite supportive of Drake, even inviting him to purchase his stake in Jay-Z’s Reasonable Doubt. But that doesn’t mean that he’s automatically going to cosign everything the 6ix God does, as he recently had some interesting thoughts on his legal petition against Universal Music Group and Spotify. Moreover, the former Roc-A-Fella executive’s latest episode of his America Nu Network show saw him theorize that the Toronto superstar knew of all these alleged practices to boost streams and engage in payola well before this legal move. Basically, Dame is calling him a hypocrite and an opportunist.
“If he’s – to me, outside, objectively – if he’s thinking they did it or he knows they did it, it must have meant potentially they may have done it on his behalf before,” Dame Dash said of Drake’s situation and his allegations against his label and the streaming service. “Or he must have seen it done to know that could even exist. It’s probably alright when it’s rocking for you, but when they used it against you, it could be a trigger.
“When you’re doing alright, they rocking with you, and they play tricks on people and do all types of stuff,” Dame Dash continued concerning Drake. “But when you’re not doing alright, they use the same things that helped you to hurt you. And that’s the problem with being dependent on them ’cause you’re subject to their temperament. So I could see where he was triggered to do that, but the timing of it all, I could see where there could be some recourse for him, a little backlash. ‘Cause it could look like he’s being a sore loser even though he knows they’re using it to leverage him to maybe cheat him out of some bread.”
With all this mind, Dame Dash basically posited that Drake and UMG had a falling out that is the real reason for this legal petition, not the alleged stream-boosting strategies. He knows a thing or two about legal trouble, so it will be interesting to see if future information changes this perspective. In any case, the OVO mogul has all eyes on him right now.
Megan Thee Stallion and LilJuMadeDaBeat are a winning combination. The rapper and producer have teamed up to make smash hits like “Body,” “Big Ole Freak” and “Thot Sh*t” among others. They know what it takes to push a song, and reap the benefits of a massive global fanbase. Megan was listed as being among the most streamed female rappers on Spotify. Fans were thrilled, but the rapper’s producer was less so. He actually took to social media to criticize Spotify’s practices.
LilJuMadeDaBeat voiced his frustration with the streaming platform. He urged fans to listen to Megan Thee Stallion’s music on other platforms, due to the sharp difference in terms of how much the artists get paid. “I hate that y’all actually use Spotify instead of literally ANY other streaming service,” he wrote. “They pay us the least.” LilJuMadeDaBeat is far from the first artist to criticize Spotify practices. Noname previously urged fans to hold the platform accountable for how little it pays artists. Then, of course, there is Drake, who plans to file a lawsuit against Spotify for using “schemes” to boost Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” numbers.
Megan Thee Stallion and LilJuMadeDaBeat have actually been involved in similar confusion regarding Spotify numbers. The former was accused of buying 30 million streams to boost the numbers for her self-titled album. No Jumper claimed that the same number of streams were removed from her album when it came time to count first week sales, which led to her album being repositioned on the charts. Many fans came to Megan’s defense, however, claiming that the bots that made up the additional streams were out of her control.
Megan Thee Stallion and LilJuMadeDaBeat have also had to contend with a lawsuit from Plies. The veteran rapper accused them of sampling his song “Me & My Goons” without giving proper credit. LilJu responded to the lawsuit via social media. He pointed out that the Megan Thee Stallion song “Wanna Be” actually sampled another song that was properly credited. “Big E the producer of ‘My Dougie’ credited on ‘Wanna Be,’” the producer tweeted. LilJuMadeDaBeat also noted that the original sample came out two years before Plies’ song.
It goes without saying that it’s been a busy year for Drake. He wrapped up his “It’s All A Blur” tour in April, just weeks after Kendrick Lamar dissed him on a collab with Future and Metro Boomin, “Like That.” This resulted in a viral lyrical battle, which by most accounts, Kendrick won. That has since earned relentless clowning from social media users. This has only picked up since the surprise release of Kendrick’s new album GNX.
It’s also gotten worse since Drake decided to take legal action against Universal Music Group (UMG) over Kendrick’s hit diss track, “Not Like Us.” He accuses UMG and Spotify of artificially boosting the song and alleges that the release could have been prevented. Unsurprisingly, many social media users have attributed this pre-action filing to jealousy over Kendrick’s success. It’s to be seen how that’ll play out, but fortunately for Drake, he still has a lot going for him despite all of the drama.
Spotify Wrapped 2024 just dropped, for example, revealing that Drake was the most-streamed rap artist of the year globally. He was followed by Travis Scott, Kanye West, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Future, and more. Obviously, the Toronto performer’s fanbase hasn’t gone anywhere. It also looks like he’s been able to find humor in all of this, as evidenced by a comment he recently left during a Los Pollos TV stream. “We need a donut emoji in the chat,” he wrote simply. “Custarrrddddd.” This was a nod to Kendrick’s iconic DJ Mustard shout-out on “TV Off.” It quickly became a meme following the release of GNX.
Drake has also earned some support from his peers amid his legal battle with UMG. Azealia Banks, Funk Flex, and many more even think there’s a chance he might ultimately end up looking like a hero for exposing alleged corruption in the music industry.
Happy Spotify Wrapped day to those who celebrate! Spotify unveiled the 2024 edition of the year-end Wrapped recap today (December 4), and along with personalized user data, the streaming service has also shared some 2024 superlatives from across the platform.
What Is The Most-Streamed Album On Spotify In 2024?
Whether you’re checking the global chart or just in the US, the most-streamed album on Spotify in 2024 was Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department, specifically the expanded The Anthology version. Swift was also the most-streamed artist on Spotify this year, while “Cruel Summer” was one of the most-streamed songs.
Taking second place on the global chart is Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard And Soft, and at No. 2 in the US is Morgan Wallen’s One Thing At A Time.
Find the lists of the most-streamed albums globally and in the US below.
Spotify Wrapped 2024: Most-Streamed Albums Globally
1. Taylor Swift — The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology
2. Billie Eilish — Hit Me Hard And Soft
3. Sabrina Carpenter — Short N’ Sweet
4. Karol G — Mañana Será Bonito
5. Ariana Grande — Eternal Sunshine
6. Taylor Swift — 1989 (Taylor’s Version)
7. SZA — SOS
8. Taylor Swift — Lover
9. Benson Boone — Fireworks & Rollerblades
10. The Weeknd — Starboy
Spotify Wrapped 2024: Most-Streamed Albums, US
1. Taylor Swift — The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology
2. Morgan Wallen — One Thing At A Time
3. Sabrina Carpenter — Short N’ Sweet
4. Noah Kahan — Stick Season
5. Chappell Roan — The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess
6. Billie Eilish — Hit Me Hard And Soft
7. SZA — SOS
8. Morgan Wallen — Dangerous: The Double Album
9. Zach Bryan — Zach Bryan
10. Taylor Swift — 1989 (Taylor’s Version)
Spotify Wrapped 2024 is here. This means personalized year-end listening data for every user, but it also means Spotify reveals the top artists, songs, and albums across all of Spotify in 2024.
What Was The Most-Streamed Song On Spotify In 2024?
One of the biggest superlatives is the most-streamed song, and on both the global and US-only charts, that honor belongs to Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso.” The song, which was released in April, currently has over 1.65 billion streams on Spotify.
On the global chart, it beat out Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things,” while on the US chart, it topped Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.”
Find the full lists of the most-streamed songs globally and for the US below.
Nicki Minaj was not messing around on Monday. The rapper got on Twitter shortly after it was announced that Spotify would be releasing its Wrapped data later than usual. Fans were perplexed by the delay, and many theorized it may have to do with accusations that Drake recently leveled at the streaming platform. The 6 God alleged that Spotify and UMG were in cahoots to boost Kendrick Lamar’s streaming numbers using bots. Evidently, Nicki Minaj is supporting Drake’s cause. She questioned why Spotify was taking so long with its data. She also alluded to the platform lying.
“Show me the data,” she wrote on Monday afternoon. The rapper followed this ominous request up with a more damning comment. “Spotify ain’t gotta lie,” she explained. These critiques were intriguing, given that Nicki Minaj received two notable honors via Spotify the same exact day. She was the most streamed female rapper in November with 355 million streams. Minaj was also the most streamed female rapper of 2024 with 4.1 billion streams and counting. QC Worldwide claims the rapper is on pace to close out 2024 year with 4.5 billion streams.
This is not the first time Nicki Minaj has gone after Spotify. The rapper has a history of clashing with streaming platforms, whether it be lack of promotion or perceived preferential treatment of her peers. The latter proved to be the case in 2018, when Minaj blasted Spotify for de-prioritizing her music so it could promote, of all people, Drake. “Spotify put Drake’s face on every playlist but told me they’d have to teach me a lesson for playing my music 10 mins early on #QueenRadio,” she tweeted. “Even tho they’ve been giving away my music for free for years & I am one of the top Spotify artists of all time.”
Nicki Minaj’s relationship with Drake has been hit-and-miss over the years. The two have collaborated multiple times, but there have also been rumors of tension at different points in their career. Drake said as much on 2013’s “Tuscan Leather.” It appears as though both rappers are on the same page in 2024, however. They are presenting a united front against their critics and their combative peers. Based on the numbers, it seems to be working.
Spotify recently teased the 2024 edition of Spotify Wrapped, a year-end data dump of a user’s most-played songs, artists, albums, podcasts, etc. A video shared to the digital streaming service’s social media account included nods to some of the year’s biggest albums, including Short N’ Sweet by Sabrina Carpenter, The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess by Chappell Roan, Cowboy Carter by Beyonce, Brat by Charli XCX, and Hit Me Hard And Soft By Billie Eilish.
When Is Spotify Wrapped Coming Out In December 2024?
So far, all we know is that it’s “coming” (helpful!). Here’s when it’s been in previous years:
2018: December 6
2019: December 5
2020 and 2021: December 1
2022: November 30
2023: November 29
The 2024 Wrapped is going to be on the later side, since it’s already early December. But to get ready for whenever Wrapped drops, Spotify suggests users have the latest update of the app. The instructions are as follows:
1. Visit the Apple App Store if you have an iPhone or the Google Play Store if you have an Android.
2. Search and find your Spotify app.
3. Once it appears, you will see whether you have the latest version or the option to hit the “Update” button.
4. Hit “Update” and you’re all set.
Stay tuned for Spotify Wrapped 2024. It will be here soon.
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.
