DJ Akademiks Doesn't Understand Why SZA "Dissed" Him On New Kendrick Lamar Collab

BYGabriel Bras Nevares848 Views
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Entertainment: 64th Annual Grammy Awards -- Show
Apr 3, 2022; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Doja Cat (r) and SZA accept the award for best pop duo/group performance for "Kiss Me More" during the 64th Annual Grammy Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Ak thinks that SZA and Kendrick fans are trying too hard to turn a love song into a diss against him.

SZA's new album SOS Deluxe: LANA closed out 2024 with a big musical bang, unless there's somehow even more on the way before the year is out. Fans waited so long to get it, and it seems to have been worth the wait, as it garnered a lot of praise online and also caused a lot of discussion. One particular standout on this new record, though, is obviously the Kendrick Lamar collab "30 For 30," which adds to his ridiculously dominant run in 2024. However, many fans listened to that track and came to some pretty strong "sneak diss" conclusions, which left their alleged target DJ Akademiks quite befuddled.

Moreover, he recently reacted to this speculation about SZA sneak-dissing him on his livestream, making it clear that he's not a fan of her music and acknowledging their past beef. Still, despite all the criticism that DJ Akademiks threw her way, he doesn't really think that she or Kendrick Lamar dissed him on that record, as he took a look at the lyrics and couldn't really make heads or tails of anything.

DJ Akademiks Speaks On SZA

That being said, one theory that DJ Akademiks seems to support is that Kendrick Lamar dissed Drake on this SZA collab. "You f***ing with n***as that's thinking they cuter than you / Say you on your cycle, but he on his period too," he raps on the cut, which some fans saw as a pointed attack at the 6ix God. Regardless of whether or not Drizzy will interpret it as such, it's also a very easy theory to dismiss given the generally romantic and easy-going vibe of the track as a whole. We already know what it looks like when these artists actually go at each other, so why rush things?

Meanwhile, with even more SZA music seemingly on the way, we wonder whether she will respond to this DJ Akademiks take in any way. We doubt it, but then again, this year held many more surprises than we thought, and 2025 could certainly follow suit. In any case, fans are happy to have one last big collab and battle-adjacent debate in 2024.

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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