The feud between rappers Drake and Kendrick Lamar has escalated into legal action. Drake filed a petition Monday, accusing Universal Music Group (UMG) of manipulating Spotify streams to artificially inflate Lamar’s hit song “Not Like Us.” Released in May, the diss track topped the charts, broke Spotify records, and accumulated over 900 million streams, but Drake claims its success was engineered.

In a filing submitted by Drake’s company Frozen Moments LLC in New York Supreme Court, he alleged UMG used bots, payola, and licensing deals to ensure the song went viral. The petition stated UMG charged Spotify lower rates in exchange for aggressively promoting “Not Like Us” and allegedly collaborated with Apple to direct users to the song via Siri. It also claimed UMG paid radio stations to play the track, a tactic known as payola.

Drake argued the song harmed his reputation by falsely labeling him a “certified pedophile” in its lyrics. He further claimed UMG prioritized profits over its artists, citing financial agreements with platforms to boost the diss track. Attempts to resolve the matter with UMG were unsuccessful, according to the filing.

The petition also accused UMG of violating the RICO Act and engaging in deceptive practices. Drake, a Republic Records artist, alleged UMG terminated employees loyal to him and directed blame toward Lamar, signed under Interscope Records.

In a separate petition filed in Texas, Drake targeted potential payola schemes involving iHeartRadio, accusing UMG of making undisclosed payments to promote “Not Like Us.”

UMG denied the allegations, calling them “offensive and untrue,” while Spotify declined to comment. Social media reactions mocked Drake’s legal actions, with users joking he’s “suing his way out” of the feud.