The issue of fake streams — plays of music registered by bots or real people hired to stream certain tracks — has drawn special attention in the world of hip-hop, where the appearance of authenticity is crucial. “How many faking they streams?” J Cole rapped in 21 Savage’s 2018 song “A Lot.” “Getting they plays from machines / I can see behind the smoke and mirrors / Niggas ain't really big as they seem.” Cole’s verse prompted a simmering paranoia in some corners of the internet: who were the frauds in the streaming game?
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