In response to Drake's allegations of streaming manipulation for Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us," Spotify has issued a firm denial, stating there is no evidence to support these claims.

Drake's petition, filed through his company Frozen Moments, accused Spotify and Universal Music Group (UMG) of artificially inflating Lamar's streaming numbers. The allegations included claims that UMG offered Spotify a 30% discount on licensing rates in exchange for promoting "Not Like Us" to users searching for unrelated content.

Key points from Spotify's response:

• No evidence found of bot-generated streams
• No special licensing rate arrangement with UMG
• Drake provided "no facts" to support his claims
• Any decline in Drake's popularity could be due to various factors
• Spotify maintains robust anti-manipulation measures

David Kaefer, Spotify's head of music and audiobooks business, emphasized that the platform "invests heavily in automated and manual reviews" to prevent artificial streaming. He noted that violations can result in removed streams, withheld royalties, and penalty fees.

The dispute continues as Drake prepares for his Australian tour, scheduled to begin on Super Bowl Sunday - the same day Kendrick Lamar is set to perform at the big game.

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