DJ Akademiks Believes Kendrick Lamar Is Suffering From "List Fatigue"

BY Gabriel Bras Nevares
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DJ Akademiks Kendrick Lamar Suffering List Fatigue
Feb 6, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Recording artist Kendrick Lamar during a press conference for the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show at Media Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect
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DJ Akademiks reacted less than positively to Kendrick Lamar's slot on Consequence's top 20 vocalists list, arguing he's too lauded.

Kendrick Lamar has been laying low since his dominant 2024 run while new music rumors spread. But that doesn't mean he isn't still showing up on various "best artists of all time" lists in multiple categories. Most recently, Consequence placed Lamar at number 20 on their list of the best vocalists of all time. DJ Akademiks reacted to this placement during a recent livestream, and he thinks the glaze needs to end before it hurts Kendrick.

As caught by Kurrco on Twitter, the commentator argued folks are starting to experience "list fatigue" with the Compton lyricist. He did give K.Dot his flowers, but he thinks he shouldn't be getting so many of them in unfitting categories.

"I'm sick of these f***ing lists, bro," Ak remarked. "Every list these days, you have to put a troll on the list... How the f**k did we go from James Brown to Kendrick Lamar? Stop the f***ery... Y'all got to stop sucking off Kendrick Lamar... Any list they name, they gon' put the n***a on... People like what he represents. But Jesus Christ. Didn't we already give the n***a, like, 15 Grammys? 'Not Like Us'? Can't we give it a break with over-rewarding this n***a for every single thing he does? He opens his mouth, he gets a Grammy."

"I do think he belongs on certain list," he conceded. "A greatest MCs list? He's probably at the top of that b***h... The d**k-riding got to stop... I wonder if he has the mindset to say, 'Y'all are making me not seem like a serious candidate because y'all keep trying to give me every award.'"

Kendrick Lamar's Grammys

As DJ Akademiks noted, Kendrick Lamar is a Grammys darling. He has the most Grammys out of any rapper at press time with 27 wins from 66 nominations. This year, he won multiple awards for the GNX album and his circa-2025 features.

Kendrick's definitely been dominant, especially in the past few years. But hopefully praise for him translates into motivation to work that much harder for his next moves rather than complacency.

As for DJ Akademiks' Kendrick Lamar criticisms, they are unsurprising given his Drake fandom. But that opinion doesn't automatically negate anything he might have to say to a Kendrick fan. Maybe some would agree with this assessment, or don't care about accolades in the first place.

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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