DJ Akademiks says 6ix9ine’s newest record deal may actually obligate him to stream content.
The livestreamer shared the claim on Sunday (Oct. 26) during an interview with DDG at ComplexCon 2025, where they discussed the current state of rap. During their chat, the 28-year-old rapper and streamer pointed out that “content is more lit than music” these days.
Akademiks then used 6ix9ine as an example, alleging that the rapper’s new deal includes a clause that contractually forces him to stream.
“Someone had told me…6ix9ine just got a reup on like a record deal but his record deal, the offer they sent him, they said, ‘Yo, you have to stream,’” Ak said around the two-hour and 17-minute mark in the video linked here.
He went on to explain that record labels now rely on data analytics to track “your numbers and how hot you are,” emphasizing that the focus has shifted toward promoting content to boost an artist’s visibility instead of just chasing studio hits.
“They’re like, ‘Yo, off of the last few months of you doing podcasts or whatever, there’s an uptick in your music streams. So, if we’re going to sign you for more music, we’re going to leverage the fact that when you do content, your streams go up. So, we’re going to force you contractually to do it,’” Ak said. “I’m kind of with that shit.”
Later in the chat, DDG agreed that streaming has become more profitable than most traditional label deals, saying, “For what I signed for, I made that in 30 days on Twitch … Streamers make more than rappers, a hundred percent. There’s too many ways to make money.”
6ix9ine has not yet addressed the rumored clause in his new deal.
Last October, reports surfaced that the rapper inked a new contract with Kartel Music, allegedly securing $1 million for a 10-song album and $250,000 per show on his upcoming U.S. and Latin American tour—potentially totaling more than $6 million, according to TMZ. Streaming requirements, however, were not mentioned in those reports.
