DJ Akadeniks Calls Jay-Z The Israel Of Hip-Hop

BY Gabriel Bras Nevares Published on May 03, 2026

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Nov 24, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Recording artist Jay-Z walks on the field before the game between the Washington Commanders and the Dallas Cowboys at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images / USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

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DJ Akademiks went a rant about Jay-Z and his place in hip-hop culture, arguing he isn't the "standard" in the genre but fans still defend him.

Jay-Z is celebrating a couple of career milestone anniversaries this year, but that doesn't mean he's avoided more critical conversations around him in recent years. Whether it was the dismissed Diddy lawsuit or alleged connections to the Epstein files, many folks are questioning his character. DJ Akademiks is chief among them, who recently compared Hov to Israel to make a point about cultural protection.

He seemed to reference Israel specifically amid their conflicts with other nations like Iran and Palestine, plus their strong backing from the United States. Ak believes people are too quick to defend or protect him, and will make up reasons to celebrate him.

"Jay-Z is the Israel of hip-hop," he remarked, as caught by Kurrco on Twitter. "There's a clown show of 'protect him.' This was going to be the d**k-sucking year of Jay-Z. It's the 30th anniversary of Reasonable Doubt... They're going to make a big spectacle, like 'Why don't we appreciate him?' He's going to come out to top every f***ing list. Aren't we seeing it in real time? [...] They're just going to give Jay-Z awards just to give him awards... You see them doing it with Kendrick Lamar."

DJ Akademiks' Jay-Z Takes

"Anyone below the age of 30 looks at Jay-Z remotely close to how people look at him over the age of 40," the commentator continued. "They just look at him as, 'He was a good rapper.' That's it. This idea of him being a GOAT, I don't think younger folks look at him like that... I don't believe Jay ever really got immortalized how Michael Jordan got immortalized as number one. 'Cause Jay-Z isn't the standard that we compare musicians to. There is no standard... 'Pac, from an artist perspective, is that... I've never seen n***as say, 'You're moving like Jay-Z.'"

Previously, DJ Akademiks has been overall skeptical of Jay-Z. While he definitely had more negative than positive things to say about him in recent years, especially in terms of what blew up online, he still gives him props for his business acumen and lyrical skill.

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But when it comes to how people discuss the Roc Nation mogul, Ak thinks folks are going easy on him. He had many more criticisms about his career, which filled social media timelines with debates.

About The Author

Gabriel Bras Nevares

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.