Reports are surfacing about 21 Savage denying claims that he used bots to boost his latest album’s stream count. This savage news comes after Spotify allegedly removed millions of streams from his project. 21 Savage reportedly reached out to DJ Akademiks to clarify the situation.

What Happened

DJ Akademiks shared that 21 Savage messaged him directly to shut down rumors about artificially inflating his album’s streams. The rapper apparently felt the need to set the record straight after Spotify reportedly took down 25 million streams from his latest project, What Happened To The Streets?. While no official reason for the adjustment was given, fans online have been quick to accuse the rapper of using bots. Akademiks relayed 21 Savage’s message, “He says, ‘Yo, this sht is cap.’ He said, ‘Bro, why the fck would I bot 25 million lol.'” The rapper added that if he were to bot streams, he’d aim for a much higher number.

Stream Count Context

Akademiks then broke down the potential financial impact of 25 million streams, estimating it would translate to roughly 20,000 album sales for Billboard chart purposes. However, social media users on X (formerly Twitter) weren’t convinced by the rapper’s denial. One user pointed out that the adjusted stream count seemed to align with initial sales predictions. Another user brought up an earlier projection from Kurrco that anticipated the project moving 53,000 units in its first week. These fans questioned the sudden drop in reported streams.

Album Release and Remarks

21 Savage dropped What Happened To The Streets? in December. The album secured the number three spot on the US Billboard 200 chart, earning 73,000 album-equivalent units during its debut week. The project features guest verses from artists like Young Nudy, Latto, Drake, GloRilla, G Herbo, Metro Boomin, and Lil Baby. Following the album’s release, 21 Savage made headlines for a controversial message he sent to Young Thug and Gunna. He advised them to end their beef, stating, “Yall nas fix that sht. Yall love each other na you knew gunna wasn’t no gangster when he told the first time and we swept it under the rug for you you know he wasn’t tryna leave you to hang na fck the streets we ain’t get sht but trauma from that sht.” This statement sparked considerable debate among other rappers, including NBA YoungBoy and Fivio Foreign, as reported by HotNewHipHop

Be sure to stay updated on the entire story — check in daily at RapNews.com.