DJ Akademiks has been riding for Drake for years. He’s the rapper’s biggest fan in terms of notable media personalities. That being said, Ak has faced up to some harsh truths over the last few weeks. He fears that the Kendrick Lamar battle may have permanently impacted Drake’s career. Not only in terms of reputation, which has certainly been the case, but in sales as well. The 6 God spent a decade and a half with the Midas touch, but DJ Akademiks think the era of the “Drake Stimulus Package” is over.
Ak did a live stream reaction to the music video for Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.” He admitted the video was highly memorable, but it was the song’s continued chart success that led to a more serious discussion. “Not Like Us” peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and it’s still at number three. Conversely, Drake’s last few releases have underperformed, and DJ Akademiks has noticed. “Drake’s wings, slightly, feel clipped,” he noted. “The Drake Stimulus Package right now, doesn’t exist. Drake going on Camila Cabello’s track didn’t do nothing.”
DJ Akademiks Admitted That Drake’s New Song Flopped
DJ Akademiks is not wrong. Drake and Camila Cabello hyped up their duet “Hot Uptown” for months. It was positively received by fans and critics, but it also tanked on the charts. It debuted at number 92 on the Billboard Hot 100, which is unheard of for a high-profile Drake collab. “U My Everything,” the Drake and Sexyy Red song, didn’t fare much better. The song, which sampled “BBL Drizzy,” peaked at number 44. Drake and Red’s previous collab, “Rich Baby Daddy,” peaked at number 11 by comparison. That’s an enormous downshift.
DJ Akademiks also gave Kendrick Lamar his flowers after watching the “Not Like Us” video. “He did give everybody a look,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Pretty good video ngl.” Ak also recognized how big the video and the song are for hip-hop culture. “First music video people have cared about in a while.. good job Kendrick Lamar.” The internet personality even conceded that Lamar’s decision to have his fiancee, Whitney Alford, in the video, stepped on Drake’s “Family Matters” claims. “Whitney dancing and clowning Drake is hilarious lol,” he tweeted.
About The Author
Elias is a music writer at HotNewHipHop. He joined the site in 2024, and covers a wide range of topics, including pop culture, film, sports, and of course, hip-hop. You can find him publishing work for HNHH from Monday to Friday, especially when it comes to the coverage of new albums and singles. His favorite artists are Andre 3000, MF Doom, pre-808s Kanye West and Tyler, The Creator. He loves L.A. hip-hop but not L.A. sports teams. The first album he ever bought was Big Willie Style by Will Smith, which he maintains is still a pretty good listen.
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