DJ Akademiks Surprisingly Praises JAŸ-Z's Concert... With A Catch

BY Gabriel Bras Nevares
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DJ Akademiks Praises Jay Z Concert With A Catch
Feb 9, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Recording artist Jay-Z before Super Bowl LIX between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs at Ceasars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
DJ Akademiks' issue with JAŸ-Z and his 2026 run is the same problem he had with his Roots Picnic festival set.

DJ Akademiks has a lot of issues with JAŸ-Z and Roc Nation, whether it's allegations of media bias and corruption or Hov's feud with Ak's top dog, Drake. But even the commentator couldn't deny Jay's first Yankee Stadium show this weekend seemed like an amazing time, although he still has one big issue with his 2026 run.

It concerns a previous criticism: the freestyle. Last night (Friday, July 10), Jay referenced the Colin Kaepernick controversy and more in a freestyle similar to the one at his Roots Picnic set. On Twitter, Akademiks summed up his thoughts.

"Who gon tell him da truth bout these freestyles… they getting worse and they didn’t start off good to begin w," he wrote. "Great concert. Horrible freestyle."

DJ Akademiks expanded on this view during his livestream, as caught by Akademiks TV on Instagram.

"It's a dope way to celebrate an album, Reasonable Doubt, which is very nostalgic at this point," he expressed. "It looked like a banger concert... I think that freestyle s**t is done. That's his new way of trying to put out his propaganda because Charlamagne [Tha God] doesn't work... They come off flat, they don't come off as masterful or artful as we know JAŸ-Z to be. It also doesn't come across as sharp... I don't think it's changed a single person's mind... This freestyle, there's not much to talk about. It was very underwhelming. Great concert. The freestyle was inconsequential... It was worse than the first one... I'm not going to knock his ability to respond... It felt like he was responding to the likes of me... We're being told he doesn't care about [us]."

DJ Akademiks' JAŸ-Z Debate

Elsewhere, DJ Akademiks recently debated Charlamagne Tha God about JAŸ-Z, including the alleged Roc Nation ties and other controversies. Depending on how the next Yankee Stadium shows go, Ak could have a lot more to talk about and criticize.

But it seems like folks are just enjoying the concert in one way or another, as even Hov fans have their issues. Over what's left of the weekend, the discourse will likely heat up even more.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.

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