Last week, 21 Savage unleashed his fourth studio album, What Happened To The Streets? So far, it's earned mixed reactions from listeners and is expected to move 53K units in its first week. For reference, the UK-born rapper's third album American Dream sold 133K units.
This marks a notable decline in commercial performance, and according to DJ Akademiks, there could be a good reason for that. During a recent stream, he weighed in on the projected sales, claiming that they're simply a reflection of the current state of streaming.
"It's not looking too good, even with the Drake stimulus package," he said, as seen in a clip shared by joebuddenclips/fanpage on Twitter/X. "I think it's a tough year for streaming. [...] I do believe this was the moment for Savage to probably realize, 'Hey, in this particular year, hip-hop is a little bit down. You probably need a rollout.' The music isn't bad, you needed a rollout."
21 Savage What Happened To The Streets? Features
While Drake's appearance on "MR RECOUP" is certainly a standout moment on the album, not everyone is a fan. Joe Budden, for example, recently revealed that he thinks the duo could have done much better.
"I don't have anything positive to say about that song," he admitted on his podcast. "But I do think it was important for Drake to be featured on this project. And I think in sequencing, if you just letting it rock, then maybe you won't be mad at it. The beat, it fits. It's not my particular favorite on there. I thought that Drake probably... It's time for the heat, man. Enough of this."
Aside from Drake, 21 Savage's new album includes features from the likes of Lil Baby, GloRilla, Young Nudy, and more. He even recruited his boo Latto for the song "Pop It," on which the Atlanta femcee boasts about their relationship. "F*ckin' on this British man / Crib look like the Buckingham," she raps.
