DJ Akademiks Breaks Down Why He Thinks Jay-Z & Drake Started Beefing

BY Gabriel Bras Nevares
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DJ Akademiks Breaks Down Why Jay Z Drake Started Beefing
Oct 29, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic walks past recording artist Drake (tan jacket) and his son during the first half of a game against the Houston Rockets at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Although Jay-Z and Drake collaborated in the 2020s decade, DJ Akademiks thinks the root of their fallout happened much earlier.

DJ Akademiks recently went on his livestream to react to Michael Eric Dyson's recent revelations about a conversation with Jay-Z. For those unaware, Jay privately disagreed with the author's take that Kendrick Lamar unrightfully questioned Drake's Blackness during their beef. As such, Ak took advantage of the opportunity to speculate about Drizzy's supposed beef with Hov.

That's "supposed" because they collaborated on "Love All" on the 6ix God's 2021 album Certified Lover Boy. However, Akademiks thinks these two artists' tensions go way back, and that things haven't been the same since around 2015.

As caught by DJ Akademiks TV on Instagram, he posited that Jay's caping for Kendrick in a collusion-like manner due to the Super Bowl connection. Ak theorized that the Roc Nation mogul hasn't messed with the Toronto superstar ever since The Boy eschewed a Tidal deal with the Brooklyn MC in favor of launching Apple Music in 2015.

He also brought up Nicki Minaj's complaints about this Tidal deal, suggesting that Jay took all the money and that the OVO mogul didn't want to jump on, preferring Apple's money. Per DJ Akademiks, this allegedly angered Hov, which then lined up with his support of Meek Mill during his Drizzy battle around this time.

Drake & Jay-Z's Beef Rumors

As such, Drake supposedly stopped messing with Jay-Z. Again, though, there are counterarguments here based on their collaborations. But Ak also posited that "Charged Up" was actually a diss for Hov, not Meek, as that came later on "Back To Back." According to the commentator, Drizzy might have felt like Jay sent Meek to battle him, which might be the focus of "Charged Up." Akademiks then went on to break down the lyrics on this song, comparing these dynamics to the 6ix God's beef with Pusha T and his shots at Kanye West.

For those unaware, Michael Eric Dyson recently apologized for his Jay-Z revelations, saying he shouldn't have spoken on a private conversation. As for Drake and Jay-Z's supposed tensions, the most recent proof of this is the latter enlisting K.Dot to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show last year. But things remain quite unclear and unconfirmed. They also have a long history of subliminals, hatchet burials, and everything in between.

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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