“You are not credible at all” — Fans call out DJ Akademiks after Spotify denies claim that Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’ used bots for streams

DJ Akademiks is facing backlash after Spotify denied his claims that Kendrick Lamar's Not Like Us used bots to inflate streaming numbers. On Monday, July 8, 2024, X user @Kurrco shared an audio clip in which the internet personality can be heard saying:

"I talked to my man from Spotify. I won't say his name right now. He said, 'Hey, I'm gonna be honest with you. I don't know what that person on your stream is talking about, them Kendrick streams is real."

The track, which was released on May 4, topped the charts and broke several streaming records. Since then, there has been speculation about whether Kendrick Lamar or his team used bots to boost its streaming numbers, including from Livingston Allen (a.k.a. DJ Akademiks).

After @Kurro's post went viral, Akademiks reiterated his bot allegations in an X post, saying, "No DSP (Digital Service Provider) will ever Admit they counted or have counted FAKE STREAMS."

A comment reacting to the news (Image via Instagram/@Akademiks)

This prompted criticism from fans, with many questioning his credibility.

A comment reacting to the news (Image via X/@Akademiks)

Many netizens pointed out the irony in asking someone at Spotify about the bot claims when he believed they would lie to him. They stated Akademiks was just "hoping (he'd) find someone that would say it's botted" but didn't. Others questioned his fixation on Kendrick Lamar, asking him to "let it go."

Here are some comments seen under @Akademik's post:

"Let it go bro. You lost this one. Take your L just like your favorite artist," one X user wrote.

"But if everyone is Botting including your Drake what’s the point of this conversation," a fan commented.

"Why’d you “run it up the chain” if you think they’d lie about it then? seems to me to that you were hoping you’d find someone that would say it’s botted and you didn’t," another X user added.

Internet users questioned why it was hard to believe Not Like Us was breaking records when both the rap feud and the song were a trending topic.

"But why is it always in favor of Drake? I clearly remember when they were heavily promoting drake; he even had a deal with Spotify. So why are we discussing this now? Is it so hard to believe that this kendrick song is just the song of the year? You were there when it dropped," @DD23K argued.

"I think when one song has been a trending topic for 2 whole months now, it’s pretty safe to say it’s probably been streamed A LOT," another fan commented.

"I listened it quite a bit of times. It also helped they had it first on official Spotify playlists lol. It definitely got help but I feel they are real numbers," one person reacted.

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Kendrick Lamar's Not Like Us debuted at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100 chart and set record for highest single-day streams for hip-hop song in Spotify history

While the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar rap feud faded by early May, the debate continues among rappers and critics. On his podcast, Joe Budden argued that the feud represented the larger trends in the hip-hop industry, namely those who focus on commercial success and popularity and those who prefer artistic authenticity. However, most agree that Not Like Us won Lamar the feud.

The track debuted atop the Billboard Hot 100, Global 200, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and Streaming Songs charts simultaneously. It also set the record for the highest single-day streams for a hip-hop song in Spotify history, with about 12.8 million streams. Additionally, Kendrick Lamar dropped a music video for the track on July 5, which has amassed 37 million views on YouTube.

Disclaimer: The following video contains strong language. Viewer discretion is advised.

On June 17, DJ Akademiks aired an interview with a guest who alleged he was paid by K. Dot's manager, Anthony Saleh, to use bots to boost the artist's streaming numbers. The whistleblower claimed he did not receive full payment, adding that his life was threatened by Kendrick Lamar's team for exposing them.

After DJ Akademiks' Spotify contact denied any bot claims, the internet personality doubled down on his claims that DSPs (digital service providers) like Spotify would never admit to counting bot streams. He added that when digital marketers purchase streams, they do it in a way that DSPs can't detect the fake streams, and if they do, it is rarely announced.

Reps for Kendrick Lamar have not released any statements on the allegations.