DJ Akademiks has publicly denied claims that he accepted payola from Drake for positive coverage during the highly publicized Drake and Kendrick Lamar feud.
On a recent livestream, Akademiks shared that pgLang co-founder Dave Free questioned him directly about whether Drake was paying him for favorable opinions on his media platforms.
Akademiks called the suggestion “insulting” and emphasized his long-standing reputation in the industry, stating, “I’ve been doing this for over 15 years. How did you think I became me? Did you think I was someone who could just be bought?”
Akademiks clarified that while his platform has benefited artists he supports, he does not accept money in exchange for his opinions. “We don’t do pay-for-play. You can’t buy my opinion. The moment you could buy my opinion, I don’t matter,” he said. He acknowledged that his coverage has sometimes favored artists he likes, but insisted that this was never due to financial incentives.
He also admitted to being biased during the Drake vs. Kendrick battle, explaining that Drake is his favorite rapper and that Kendrick’s team stopped communicating with him, which influenced the coverage.
“Throughout the battle, we probably definitely came off very biased, not only because I like Drake and he’s my favorite rapper, but because Kendrick’s team cut off communication. If you don’t clarify the narrative, it gets written without you,” Akademiks explained.
Comment here