Drake has retracted the petition he filed against Spotify and Universal Music Group (UMG) after alleging both parties of boosting the numbers of Kendrick Lamar’s diss track ‘Not Like Us. Yesterday, Journalist Bryson “Boom” Paul announced on X that Drizzy’s Frozen Moments, LLC withdrew a petition with the Supreme Court against Spotify and UMG on January 14. Frozen Moments, LLC will cease the legal proceedings at no financial expense to both parties. Spotify previously filed an opposition but did not protest the withdrawal; UMG, however, “reserved its position on the matter,”
Canadian rapper Drake has filed a pre-action petition in New York State court against Universal Music Group (UMG) and Spotify USA Inc., accusing the music giants of artificially boosting the streaming numbers for Kendrick Lamar’s song, Not Like Us. According to Drake, the alleged scheme was part of a strategy to amplify Lamar’s track at his expense. Claims of Artificial Inflation Drake’s company, Frozen Moments LLC, asserts that UMG employed bots and discounted licensing rates to mislead listeners about the song’s popularity. Released in May 2024, Not Like Us broke
In this week’s Techish, Abadesi and Michael dive into Adam Neumann’s latest project, Flow, after WeWork’s dramatic failure, HBO’s ‘Industry’ and its wild look at investment banking, and the outdated idea that men are better coders than women. Also expect reflections on friendship dynamics, new AI tools like Notebook LM, Black Tech Fest highlights, and more. Adam Neumann stays failing upwards (00:00) HBO’s Industry and the wild world of investment banking (05:05) Do men code better? (11:23) Drake is lonely: Navigating friendship dynamics in the industry (16:04) Black Tech Fest
In response to the success of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us: The Game,” Drake fans have quickly followed suit by launching their own video game, “Family Matters: The Game.” The move comes after Lamar’s game captivated over 1.2 million players within its first 36 hours. Kendrick Lamar’s Viral Success Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us: The Game” has taken the gaming world by storm since its release last week. Developed by Richie Branson, also known as Marcus Brown II, the game is inspired by Lamar’s song “Not Like Us.” In the
Brand new Techish! Hosts Abadesi and Michael are back in the studio to break down: The dark side of the Drake vs Kendrick beef Google employees fired for protesting Israeli contract Stack Overflow partners with OpenAI The real reason behind the TikTok ban? Listen on Spotify or Apple podcast also. Watch On YouTube
Artists including Drake, Rihanna, The Weeknd, and Kendrick Lamar are returning to TikTok, as the platform has reached a new agreement with Universal Music Group (UMG). UMG had recently begun pulling its music from TikTok after their old contract expired, and the two companies couldn’t reach an agreement in new negotiations. What Does The New Partnership Mean? The joint agreement aims to mark a new era of collaboration, built on a shared commitment to help UMG’s artists and songwriters achieve their creative and commercial potential. They are also working together to realize new monetization opportunities utilizing
Black-owned StatusPRO has reached a historic milestone with a $20 million Series A funding round from Google Ventures (GV), making it one of the largest Series A of any VR gaming company. StatusPRO StatusPRO was founded by Andrew “Hawk” Hawkins and Troy Jones, who each had a unique journey that propelled them into the tech space as Black co-founders of a budding startup. Leaning on their experiences as former athletes, the duo wanted to help others better understand what it takes to compete at the highest levels from an athlete’s first point of view. Their vision manifested
Canada Black Music Archives Launches Digital Archive: Celebrating A Century Of Black Music In Canada
Canada Black Music Archives (CBMA) has announced its official launch as a digital repository dedicated to preserving and celebrating the musical heritage of Black Canadians. CBMA CBMA was founded in 2020 as a testament to the enduring contributions of Black musicians to Canada’s cultural landscape over the past 100 years. The story of the CMBA began with the history of WORD – Toronto’s award-winning Black Culture Magazine co-founded by Phil Vassell and Donna McCurivin in 1991. The first issue of WORD was published in March 1992, distributed free across the
“This is the final straw AI,” Drake wrote on Instagram Stories after an AI-generated version of him rapping to Ice Spice’s “Munch” went viral. The Canadian artist is the latest prominent industry figure to express concern over AI-generated music. Streamers urged to take charge The Financial Times reports that Universal Music Group (UMG) wrote a letter to major streamers, including Spotify and Apple Music, to clamp down on AI-generated music. UMG, which controls about a third of the global music market, said they were concerned about AI bots training on their catalog and
Drake-backed betting platform, Players’ Lounge has raised $10.5 million in a Series A funding round, according to AfroTech. The funding round led by Griffin Gaming Partners included Comcast Ventures, Samsung Next, Vice Ventures, WndrCo, Sharp Alpha Partners, True Capital, Myles Garrett, Josh Norman, and Breanna Stewart. The organization, founded by Austin Woolridge, allows gamers to place bets on matches they are playing against others. In solo, head-to-head competitions, tournament formats, and ongoing competitions, friends can win real money through the Players’ Lounge. For “all kinds of gamers” In an interview
