Akademiks Thinks Fans Would Be Stupid To Think That Kendrick Lamar Is "Losing It" Over “ICEMAN”

BY Aron A.
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Kendrick Lamar performs during the second day of Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tenn. on Friday, Jun. 16, 2023.
Kendrick Lamar performs during the second day of Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tenn. on Friday, Jun. 16, 2023./USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Akademiks shares his theory on what Kendrick might have up his sleeve after the release of "ICEMAN."

The release of Drake’s three new albums will undoubtedly keep the Billboard charts on fire for the next few weeks, if not months. No matter how people feel about The Boy, they have found something to enjoy out of the 40-plus songs he dropped this week.

ICEMAN, of course, is the vengeful comeback where Drake addresses the fallout from 2024. And while he didn’t hold back from addressing everyone and anyone who was even tangentially involved in his public takedown, he certainly had some choice words for Kendrick Lamar, specifically. But while some staunch Drake fans believe Kendrick is freaking out behind the scenes about his next move, Akademiks strongly feels that isn’t the case.

During a recent livestream, Ak explained how he feels as though Drake and Kendrick are in an endless war of mind games with each other. 

“What I would put stock into is that let me just say this. I think Kendrick is a very cerebral and smart guy. You’d be an idiot to come out of that entire battle and not even, whether you like him or not, have that opinion. To think he’s like losing it like that, no, we make jokes but no. If anything, I think he’s plotting his next move and I think he’s trying to counterpunch Drake,” Ak said, adding that he believes Drake was also strategizing on how to counter Kendrick Lamar if he tries to stomp on his rollout. 

“So, they’re still playing chess. They’re still playing chess, they’re just not like, you know, playing in the local park where everyone’s watching,” he added. Akademiks theorized that Kendrick probably won’t center or be immediately influenced by what Drake has presented on ICEMAN, but he might use it to fuel his next release.

What Is Kendrick Lamar Cooking Up Right Now?

Just days before the release of ICEMAN, Kendrick Lamar’s music was temporarily pulled from platforms like YouTube and Apple Music, specifically the records released during his battle with Drake along with GNX. And while they all were reinstated later, posters across Los Angeles, New York, and Atlanta reading “WHO IS THE GIANT?” surfaced, sparking speculation that Dot was readying to release a new album on the same day as Drake. That obviously did not happen. However, even though the Big 3 conversation has been dead, it would be a great year for music if we got new albums from Kendrick, Cole and Drake. Check Akademiks comments above and let us know your thoughts in the comments below. 

About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.

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