Drake backs down from allegations of unfair streaming tactics for Kendrick Lamar’s searing diss track. But, the legal battle isn’t over yet.

Drake has withdrawn his legal petition against Universal Music Group (UMG) and Spotify. Well, one of them, at least. The rapper, who is the most-streamed rapper on Spotify, had previously accused both entities of artificially boosting the popularity of Kendrick Lamar’s diss track, “Not Like Us,” which targeted Drake.

Drake’s initial petition, filed in November 2024, alleged that UMG and Spotify engaged in unethical practices to inflate the song’s streaming numbers. He claimed that UMG, the parent company of both his and Lamar’s record labels, used bots, offered discounted licensing rates, and entered into pay-to-play agreements to promote “Not Like Us.” Additionally, Drake accused UMG of paying influencers and radio stations to play the track, further amplifying its reach.

The diss track became a viral sensation following a public feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar. In the song, Lamar allegedly referred to Drake with defamatory terms, which Drake’s legal team argued should have prevented UMG from releasing it. Drake’s petition also suggested that UMG paid Apple to have its digital assistant, Siri, misdirect users to “Not Like Us” when they searched for Drake’s music.

UMG responded to these allegations by stating, “The suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue. We employ the highest ethical practices in our marketing and promotional campaigns.” Spotify also denied any wrongdoing, asserting that it had “no economic incentive for users to stream ‘Not Like Us‘ over any of Drake’s tracks.”

Yesterday (January 14th), Drake’s company, Frozen Moments LLC, filed a notice with the New York Supreme Court to discontinue the pre-action case against UMG and Spotify. The filing stated that the case was being withdrawn without costs to any party involved. While the specific reasons for Drake’s decision to withdraw the petition remain undisclosed, the document noted that both sides had met regarding the filing, with Spotify expressing no objection to the withdrawal and UMG reserving its position.

Because this was a pre-action case, it means that it had not yet reached court yet, and was not a full lawsuit. The idea of a pre-action case is for a resolution ideally to be sought before it reaches court.

It’s important to note that this withdrawal pertains only to the petition against UMG and Spotify. A separate legal action filed by Drake in Texas, which accuses UMG of funneling payments to iHeartRadio to promote Lamar’s diss track, remains active. In this case, Drake’s lawyers argue that the defamatory content of “Not Like Us” caused harm to Drake’s reputation and that UMG should have intervened to prevent its release.