DJ Akademiks doesn’t seem too impressed with Kendrick Lamar these days—especially amid what many see as a slowdown in major hip-hop releases.
After Kendrick was widely declared the winner of his 2024 rap battle with Drake, fans dubbed the moment the start of the “Dot Era.” He followed that up by dropping GNX at the end of 2024, riding that momentum into a Super Bowl performance and a global tour packed with sold-out stadiums.
But despite that run, the so-called “Dot Era” hasn’t exactly lifted hip-hop across the board. Instead, the genre has struggled to dominate the Billboard Hot 100 like it once did. In fact, it’s been nine months since a hip-hop track cracked the Top 10—and that record belongs to Drake’s “What Did I Miss?,” which was expected to appear on ICEMAN.
As hip-hop’s mainstream presence cools off, some are pointing to Drake’s relative absence as a key factor. Akademiks is one of the loudest voices pushing that narrative. During a livestream on Wednesday night, he didn’t hold back, placing the blame on Kendrick and arguing that the genre has become too passive under his influence.
In his rant, DJ Akademiks claimed that Kendrick Lamar “took the fun out of music,” even adding that “Kendrick came in with all that woke sht and f**ed up the party.”
He went on to blame Kendrick for his own lack of excitement toward music lately, saying he used to look forward to new releases, but that feeling has faded over time.
Still, Kendrick has become an easy target in this conversation. In reality, there are several reasons why hip-hop’s mainstream impact isn’t what it once was. For one, there’s a noticeable absence of new superstars ready to take over from the Big Three. On top of that, the overall sound of mainstream rap hasn’t evolved much in over a decade.
It’s a tough reality for fans, and many are searching for someone to point fingers at. Maybe Drake can shake things up with ICEMAN, but there’s no guarantee it’ll change the trajectory.
