Drake’s surprising legal filings against Universal Music Group seem to have quickly backfired, as the streams of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” have significantly increased in recent days.
The song, which is a chart-topping diss track, is central to the dispute, with Drake accusing UMG of artificially boosting its popularity using streaming bots and payola. He also claims that UMG—his label Republic’s parent company, as well as the long-time home of Kendrick’s Interscope—defamed him by knowingly releasing a song that labels him a pedophile.
Since Drake filed his petitions on Monday (November 25), sales of “Not Like Us” have soared by 440 percent, while the song’s streams have jumped 20 percent, according to Talk of the Charts.
“Not Like Us” has also rapidly risen back up the charts on both Apple Music and Spotify, making a 16-place leap on the latter’s Global chart.
This boost in popularity will likely be reflected in next week’s Billboard Hot 100, where “Not Like Us” had previously topped the chart in May and again in July following its music video release.
Music industry and legal experts recently warned Drake that his legal battle with UMG could inadvertently help his rap rival Kendrick Lamar.
Audiomack co-founder Brian “Z” Zisook told Rolling Stone:
“No amount of money in the world is worth the reputational harm that Drake is causing to himself by filing these suits.”
“If Drake had learned Kendrick was about to release a record making these claims, and he filed a suit to block the song’s release, that would make more sense. But the song is out. It’s been out. The whole world has heard the record.
“Filing these suits serves as a reminder to the world. This is a classic case of the Streisand effect.”
The Streisand effect refers to actress and singer Barbra Streisand’s attempts to suppress the publication of a 2003 photo showing her Malibu home, which inadvertently drew more attention to the previously obscure image.
Entertainment lawyer Kevin Casini also said to Rolling Stone: “It really only serves to bring more attention to the lyrics that Drake finds offensive or objectionable. And I think the streaming numbers for the song will just go up again.”
Drake’s filings are “pre-action” petitions that seek more information before a lawsuit is filed. He has no obligation to proceed with an official complaint if he gets the information he’s asking for, so it’s still unclear how this unusual legal battle will unfold.
