Nov 26 (Reuters) - Drake has escalated his dispute with

fellow rap superstar Kendrick Lamar, filing a pair of court

notices warning of legal action against major music companies

for what Drake called manipulative promotion of Lamar's megahit

"Not Like Us."

The record-breaking "diss" track "Not Like Us" released this

year suggests Drake is a sex offender with lyrics such as,

"Drake, I hear you like 'em young," and references to a

"certified pedophile" and a "predator."

Drake, using his given name Aubrey Drake Graham, filed a

petition in Bexar County District Court in Texas on Monday

serving notice to music giants iHeartMedia and

Universal Music Group, accusing UMG of scheming to turn

"Not Like Us" into a viral hit at the expense of Drake, a fellow

UMG artist.

Universal Music Group denied it undermined Drake or that it

used unethical practices to market Lamar's song, saying in a

statement that Drake's accusations were "contrived and absurd

legal arguments."

Representatives of iHeartMedia, which is based in San

Antonio, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for

comment.

Drake's company Frozen Moments filed a similar action in New

York Supreme Court against Universal and Spotify ( SPOT ) on

Monday, accusing Universal of using payola and other

manipulative practices to promote "Not Like Us."

Spotify ( SPOT ) did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for

comment.

As in Texas, the New York case is not a formal lawsuit but a

notice that a suit could be forthcoming.

Drake alleged in the New York filing that UMG "launched a

campaign to manipulate and saturate" streaming services like

Spotify ( SPOT ) to help "Not Like Us" go viral, "including by using

'bots' and pay-to-play agreements."

"Streaming and licensing is a zero-sum game," Drake's filing

said. "Every time a song 'breaks through,' it means another

artist does not. UMG's choice to saturate the music market with

'Not Like Us' comes at the expense of its other artists, like

Drake."

Universal, whose division Interscope Records represents

Lamar, contested the allegations in a statement.

"The suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any

of its artists is offensive and untrue," the statement said. "We

employ the highest ethical practices in our marketing and

promotional campaigns. No amount of contrived and absurd legal

arguments in this pre-action submission can mask the fact that

fans choose the music they want to hear."

The two onetime collaborators began feuding after

Lamar's bravado on a 2013 track called out Drake and several

other big names in the genre, rapping, "I got love for you all,

but I'm trying to murder you ... Trying to make sure your core

fans never heard of you." Seemingly minor at first, the dispute

has intensified over the years.