Rapper RBX Appeals Spotify Fraud Suit Dismissal

Reality Born Unknown asks the Ninth Circuit to reverse a federal judge's dismissal of his class action over streaming fraud.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Hip-Hop and Rap

Photograph of a pale limestone federal courthouse with columns and a wide staircase, seen across an empty plaza under overcast sky. — Rapper Reality Born Unknown has asked the Ninth Circuit to reverse a federal judge's dismissal of his fraud class action against Spotify. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Rapper Reality Born Unknown (RBX), whose real name is Eric Collins, has appealed to the Ninth Circuit after a federal judge dismissed his fraud-focused class action against Spotify with prejudice last month. Judge Josephine Staton ruled that RBX failed to plausibly allege Spotify maintains an undisclosed selective anti-fraud enforcement policy.

Why it matters

The case challenges whether streaming platforms must police bot-driven play inflation on heavily streamed catalogs, a question that affects how royalties are distributed across artists. The outcome could shape how future fraud claims against streaming services are pleaded in federal court.

RBX alleges that more than $600 million in royalties were diverted from Drake's catalog through bot-powered streams that Spotify failed to curb. The court has not evaluated these allegations on the merits, and the claim remains unproven.

The players

Reality Born Unknown (RBX)

Long Beach-born rapper Eric Collins, who brought the fraud class action against Spotify and is now appealing its dismissal.

Spotify

The global audio streaming platform whose anti-fraud enforcement practices are challenged in the lawsuit.

Josephine Staton

The federal judge who dismissed RBX's amended complaint with prejudice, finding the fraud theory insufficiently pleaded.

The details

RBX's amended complaint argues Spotify fails to curb bot-powered fraud on catalogs of commercially prominent artists, and a separate complaint, since decommissioned, alleged Drake deployed bots and streaming farms to inflate play counts. RBX's notice of appeal was filed as a concise notice to the Ninth Circuit.

Early 2026: A separate Drake streaming-fraud complaint was filed and later decommissioned.
Summer 2026: RBX submitted an amended complaint against Spotify.
October 2026: Judge Josephine Staton dismissed RBX's suit with prejudice.
November 2026: RBX filed notice of appeal to the Ninth Circuit.

Track Record

The appeal follows an earlier complaint alleging Drake used bots and streaming farms to inflate play counts on Spotify, a claim that was later decommissioned. RBX's case tests whether a platform can be held liable for failing to police that kind of fraud across major catalogs.

If the Ninth Circuit reverses the dismissal, fraud claims over streaming play counts could move forward, potentially affecting how royalties are credited to listeners' favorite artists. For now, the dismissal stands and listeners see no change in how streams are counted or paid.

The takeaway

Streaming play counts directly determine how royalties are split, so disputes over bot fraud can affect artists' earnings across the industry. Readers following the case can watch for the Ninth Circuit's ruling as the next decisive step.