"His team doesn't... rig sales": DJ Akademiks claims Drake's streams are purely off the muscle

DJ Akademiks claims Drake's streams are purely off the muscle. Spotify’s recent crackdown on artificial streaming has reignited discussions about authenticity in the music industry, with high-profile artists such as Kendrick Lamar and Drake at the center of the conversation.

Following the streaming giant’s removal of bots, Kendrick Lamar’s monthly listeners saw a significant drop in numbers from 110 million to 98 million.

The American podcaster DJ Akademiks said:

"Drake’s streams are off the muscle."

He added that Drake's team does not rig sales, which means his team does not manipulate or fraudulently influence sales outcomes.

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DJ Akademiks weighs in on streaming discrepancies and artificial boosts

According to DJ Akademiks, Drake’s numbers reportedly remained steady at 78 million. This discrepancy has led to speculation about whether some artists benefited from artificial boosts more than others. Daily streaming figures also show a contrast — Drake’s peak daily streams reportedly stand at 50 million, whereas Kendrick’s reach 38 million.

This information hints at possible irregularities, with some experts claiming that automated activity might be boosting certain artists' streaming numbers at varying rates.

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DJ Akademiks questions streaming integrity amid bot controversy

DJ Akademiks has suggested that Kendrick Lamar’s streams were historically clean until recent events, potentially hinting at external forces influencing the numbers.

There's controversy surrounding bots, as some people think manipulating numbers using bots has become a standard practice. Some studies show bots impacting as much as 10 to 15 per cent or more of reported plays.

The X account @AkademiksTV said:

"Ak says he’s heard Kendrick’s streams were like that as well until this beef. Ak says for the botted songs, it’s being done at a 10–15% rate, scaled (this is the industry standard)."

The post added:

"What this means is that it looks like the record is moving early on, and then when people start listening to the song, the bots get scaled down as more real people start listening."

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Kendrick Lamar and Drake's feud escalates beyond music

Kendrick Lamar and Drake have a history. Their feud escalated when Lamar’s guest verse on Future and Metro Boomin’s Like That ignited a series of diss tracks, culminating in Lamar’s Not Like Us. The track not only served as a lyrical takedown but also became a massive hit, dominating the charts and fueling narratives about Lamar’s decisive victory.

Drake recently filed a defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG) over Not Like Us, arguing that the label profited from misinformation at his expense. UMG has since moved to dismiss the case, dismissing Drake’s claims as an attempt to “save face” following his public defeat.

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Neither Kendrick Lamar nor Drake has been proven to benefit from botted streams or commercial manipulation, and both rappers have fans across the globe.