DJ Hed Addresses Akademiks Prediction On ‘The Bigger Picture’
DJ Hed has used the newest episode of The Bigger Picture to deal with Akademiks‘ recent claims of Kendrick Lamar being on the verge of dropping a new project.
Prior to the episode, DJ Hed had responded to Ak’s prediction, made earlier this month, by posting a easy baseball cap emoji on X (previously Twitter).
He adopted that with one other cryptic message: “Dot don’t really talk to nobody, especially not Ak.”
Check the tweets out under.
https://t.co/3rmMvkYNat
— DJHed (@DJHed) August 25, 2024
Dot don’t actually speak to no person..
particularly not Ak pic.twitter.com/IzRV868QTI— DJHed (@DJHed) August 25, 2024
The latter tweet, which many interpreted as a reference to Akademiks, sparked a response from the person himself, who appeared to consider DJ Hed was calling out his latest prediction of a brand new Kendrick Lamar album.
“DJ Hed, I’m the greatest single journalist you’ve ever heard of,” Ak said during a livestream. “I built a 20-plus [year] industry by doing this shit. I played Drake’s video and Drake had to ask me, ‘How’d you get it?’”
On the newest episode of The Bigger Picture, out on Saturday (August 31), co-host Elliott Wilson (Editorial Director of Hip Hop Journalism at DX‘s parent company, UPROXX Studios) jokingly said Hed got “ethered” by Akademiks and then asked, “Is Kendrick coming out with an album anytime soon?”
DJ Hed’s response was “Not right now,” although he did notice Akademiks has “sources.”
Hed took the chance to deal with issues diplomatically, questioning the function and duty of media figures like Akademiks. He requested the present’s panel in the event that they consider Akademiks is the best residing journalist. All three panelists (Hed, Wilson, and HipHopDX‘s Jeremy Hecht) said no.
While Hed acknowledged Akademiks’ success in constructing a big platform with tens of millions of followers, he questioned whether or not that alone made Ak the very best within the area.
The West Coaster defined that he takes the title of “journalist” very significantly.
“I’d never claim to be a journalist, because you have to put work in for that,” he started. “There’s accolades and things that come along with that. I take journalism seriously. I’ve advocated for journalists countless times. I think it’s a serious thing.
“One thing that’s mainly serious when it comes to journalism is journalistic integrity, when it comes to somebody saying something is off the record or not leaking. Even when I was on the radio that wasn’t my brand. I wasn’t [an] I-got-it-first leak guy. That was another person’s brand.”
He went on to say figures like Joe Budden and his Bigger Picture cohosts Wilson and Hecht, who use their platforms to offer different folks alternatives.
“I know Elliott Wilson has empowered people,” he continued. “I know Harvey Levin [of TMZ] has empowered people. He’s put people in position. I know Van Lathan has done so. Charlamagne [Tha God] has a whole network. Jeremy Hecht has empowered people who work here — I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Big Boy’s put people on. All these people who have used their platform to benefit others.
“Joe Budden, we got [former Joe Budden Podcast cohosts] Rory and Mal out of it. Then out of Rory and Mal, we get Demaris [Giscombe, an on-mic and behind-the-scenes part of Rory and Mal’s new podcast] and all these other people, right? So when does someone use their platform to benefit anyone other than themselves, is my question.”
Hed ended with a surprisingly optimistic message to Akademiks:
“I’m proud of you, bro,” he mentioned. “You’ve amassed a following, you’ve made it to number one or wherever you fall on the list.”
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Then he added a problem.
“My question is, what do you plan to do with that?” he requested. “How many people do you plan to empower with your platform or this fortune that you’ve amassed? How many people do you plan on putting on?”
You can catch the total dialogue on episode 15 of The Bigger Picture, out now on HipHopDX’s YouTube channel. Check it out under.
