DJ Akademiks Thinks Kendrick Lamar Is "On The Clock" To Respond To Drake Diss

BYGabriel Bras Nevares6.7K Views
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Chanel : Outside Arrivals - Paris Fashion Week - Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2023/2024
PARIS, FRANCE - JULY 04: Kendrick Lamar attends the Chanel Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2023/2024 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on July 04, 2023 in Paris, France. (Photo by Arnold Jerocki/Getty Images)
Ak thinks K.Dot's time is ticking... when do you think he'll fire back?

Now that Drake's leaked diss has officially set the stage for what might be the biggest rap battle we've seen since Jay-Z and Nas, everyone has one question dominating their mind: when and how will Kendrick Lamar respond? It's important to note that the OVO mogul went for three full weeks since "Like That" before dropping a response on wax (albeit indirectly but... who's buying that this wasn't calculated?). Now, folks like DJ Akademiks think that K.Dot has a limited time to respond, as he expressed with a recent tweet. "You are on the clock," he quote-tweeted a post from his TV page about this Drizzy line on the leak: "You had a song for four years, drop that s**t or shut your mouth."

Furthermore, this is obviously inspiring a lot of debate among rap fans, especially given Rick Ross' lightning-fast response to the shots he caught on the leak. Some folks think that Kendrick Lamar should at least have as much time as Drake had in the public eye to drop a lyrical retaliation. Others think that the aforementioned "four years" bar puts a bit more pressure on him to act fast. Also, we have to consider that the 6ix God didn't just have to write up returning fire for the Compton lyricist, but for Rozay, Future, Metro Boomin, and what feels like half of the mainstream rap game.

DJ Akademiks Believes Kendrick Lamar's Clock Is Ticking, And That He Should Act Fast

In fact, DJ Akademiks had previously said that Drake doesn't have a time limit at all. His explanation pointed to the fact that Kendrick Lamar's "Like That" was just a short verse, not a full song, and thus was more of a warning shot. However, now that The Boy dropped four minutes' worth of relentless attacks, the media personality thinks there's some real pressure on the table. It makes sense when you look at the historical timeline of previous rap feuds, including the Toronto superstar's own.

Still, it doesn't change the fact that the overall conversation and hype around these very different tracks is basically the same, so it's a level playing field in the public eye. Plus, "Like That" was a very direct attack against Aubrey, so it's not like he was just taking his time to decide whether to really fall for presumed bait or not. While DJ Akademiks thinks that the "Wick Man" spitter will come out on top when all the smoke clears, we want to hear your predictions for this beef in the comments. As always, for more news and the latest updates on Ak, Kendrick Lamar, and Drake, stay logged into HNHH.

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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