DJ Akademiks Reveals How XXXTentacion Brought Him And Drake Together

BY Alexander Cole
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Culture's Most Influential Icons attend Complex's Inaugural List[ed] Event
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 24: DJ Akademiks attends Complex's inaugural List[ed] event at Zaytinya on October 24, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Bryan Steffy/Getty Images for Complex)
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Many years ago, Drake and XXXTentacion appeared to have some kind of feud, and DJ Akademiks was in the middle of it.

There is no hiding the fact that DJ Akademiks is a huge Drake fan. At times, fans have questioned just how objective he can be, given how close he is to the Canadian megastar.

Years ago, Drake was telling Akademiks to "dip from my live." It felt as though he had no interest in the hip-hop commentator. However, over the years, that has changed. Ak has an inside track on Drizzy's next moves. While Drake won't share everything with Akademiks, there is no denying that they have a working relationship.

During a recent stream, Akademiks decided to tell the story of how he and Drake ended up getting connected to one another. As it turns out, it all has to do with XXXTentacion. If you remember, X had a feud with Drake. Eventually, when X died, some felt that Drake might be taking posthumous shots.

Eventually, Drizzy reached out to Akademiks to clear things up and get on the same page.

Drake's Relationship With DJ Akademiks

Akademiks used this story to show that he and Drake aren't exactly super close. He noted that some people think he is in the artist's inner circle when that is not the case. Instead, the artist was mostly reluctant to confide in him.

Going into ICEMAN, there is no doubt that Akademiks has been on the frontlines of coverage. For the most part, he has been positive about the album and suggests that this project is going to be huge for the artist. Whether or not the LP lives up to the hype is still something that remains to be seen.

To Akademiks' credit, he was critical of Drake during the beef with Kendrick Lamar. He felt as though Drake made some serious missteps and that those missteps are still being felt.

Going into the new album, fans don't really know what to expect. Most are expecting him to go full rap and abandon the R&B pop tracks. Only time will tell what he decides to do.

About The Author
Alexander Cole is the current editor-in-chief of HotNewHipHop. He started at HotNewHipHop back in 2018 where he began as a Sports and Sneakers writer. It was here where he began to hone his craft, putting his journalism degree from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, to good use. Since that time, he has documented some of the biggest stories in the hip-hop world. From the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef to the disturbing allegations against Diddy, Alex has helped HotNewHipHop navigate large-scale stories as they happen. In 2021, he went to the Bahamas for the Big 3's Championship Game. It was here where he got to interview legendary figures like Ice Cube, Clyde Drexler, and Stephen Jackson. He has also interviewed other superstar athletes such as Antonio Brown, Damian Lillard, and Paul Pierce. This is in addition to conversations with social media provocateurs like Jake Paul, and younger respected artists like Kaycyy, Lil Tecca, and Jeleel!

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