DJ Akademiks Live Streams - Akademiks reacts to being #1 on Complex's Hip Hop Media power Rankings list!

Episode Date: July 14, 2024

Part 1 of the stream from 7/13/24 Cop some merch at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://djakademikstv.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Make an account and follow my stream at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.twitch.tv/akademiks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://rumble.com/c/Akademiks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow me Elsewhere. Twitter - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.twitter.com/akademiks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.instagram.com/iamakademiks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.facebook.com/iamakademiks⁠⁠

All right, we do have a bunch of shit to get into today. I apologize for, you know, every time I feel like I'm about to start a streaming street, which is like I like to do like a couple days in a row. We might do two days in a row and then I miss the third day. And then rather than come back to the next day, I miss another day, which isn't ideally how we want to do. I'll give you guys a real quick progress report on what's been going on in terms of tracking our our streaming this year.

We are on pace to, I think I'd said 250 this year, like 250 days. We're on pace to probably hit 200. 250 is going to require probably like either like a marathon stream or I'm going to have to do some type of like at least like two or three weeks without missing a day. So we are kind of going up. We're going up, but you know, again,

we're trying to push the limits. of consistency to see if we could even increase what we're currently doing. All right. Anyway, welcome everybody on YouTube. Welcome everybody on Twitch. If you're on Facebook, welcome. And of course, if you're on Rumble, welcome to the stream. A lot of things to be discussed today.

Again, because we've missed a few days, there's a bunch of topics that kind of piled up. Some hip-hop, some not. I was very pleased, and I had a really good time last stream. I think I did about seven hours. You guys thoroughly enjoyed it from the moments we talked about hip-hop. We talked about, you know, whether it was cases or other stuff that, you know, some legal rest drama stuff. And then, you know, y'all allow me some time to have fun.

So, you know, y'all allow me to, you know what I mean, spark on my little failed comedian career on here and that, and I had a good time. So hopefully we could kind of do that with today. I don't got nothing else plan for today, but chilling with y'all. So as long as y'all could tolerate me for today, I will indulge y'all for, okay?

Mama Demmix is here. I was trying to tell her, I was like, listen, I'm about a stream today. If you want to see me, talk to me at that time. She's like, no, I'm going to come over. I thought I'm in the car. I'm like, Jesus Christ. So, Mama's upstairs. Anyway, it's all good, though.

Other than that, I am here and ready for y'all. Okay, so a couple things we're going to be talking about. I'll give you out some topics. And if I'm missing topics early, you guys let me know. We're going to be talking about the Eminem album to some extent. We obviously can't play it now that we're on all platforms, but we can talk about some of the things. said on there. Obviously Eminem was still Eminem. He had jabs and bars aimed at a lot of people

who could kind of get into that. Also probably get into that overall. I know some of you might be like, yo, we're drinked out. Okay. We're not going to be talking too much about Drake, but probably we'll probably talk about Drake, right? We're going to be talking about the 2024 hip-hop media list, okay? Complex at this point have kind of coined the hip-hop media personality list, which is seemingly, you know, remember when Double Excel had the first. where they were just known for, you know, being the aficionados of saying who's the newest hip-hop artists that are freshmen. It appears that Complex has kind of done that for the media space, okay, except they release Rankins. Now, they released their second inaugural Rankins.

I'm almost looking like an award, but I don't think it's an award. And we'll get into that. I'll leave the cliffhangers and spoilers for later. Fulio, Fulio, say he's going to go live. We got Serena, who's dissing Drake. So I guess we are going to be talking about Drake a little bit. Rumors about Kendrick and what his next moves are, whether it's an album. I've even heard people talk about maybe a compilation album.

So there's a few things that's floating around when it comes to Kendrick. Hopefully we could get addressed that too. That's not the only thing going on. What else? Let me see. I did have a bunch of topics over here. Let me see. By the way, I could also spam topics.

Ice Spice and Who? Central C. Is it great marketing or just the natural order of things happening? There's a lot of things that went down recently. We all know they've been teasing like they're together. The girlfriend supposedly of or the ex-girlfriend appears of our Central C came out to expose some shit. We have SPs to talk about that that will do with the Serena shit. and what else am I missing?

Diddy's mom actually, you know, she's been suffering through some health issues. I want to send her prayers to her. But there is new information that's saying that the grand jury allegedly is in its final stages, which people are expecting an indictment supposedly any day. We'll get into that, but we're not trying to do too much on that. What else?

Some things that I care about, guys might not care about Alex Baldwin you know he went to trial for involuntary manslaughter basically he's an actor he was on a set usually they have guns on a set but it's like kind of like fake guns but it's real guns but it's supposed to be loaded with non you know lethal or non fatal or not damage and ammo it's supposed to be a bunch of blanks he pulls the trigger somebody get killed so some fuck up happened happened because he pulled the trigger he was actually charged eventually because it was a big media story, that case has now been resolved, it appears.

So we'll talk about that. Bronny, Ronnie James, you know what I mean? I don't want to like dog pile on Bronny, but, you know, sleut to Bronny. We'll definitely talk about that too. Somebody said, what else? What else? What else? There's a, I mean, some random situations.

I don't know if y'all care for me to talk about these things, but if we're going to be kicking it here for like a good, you know, If I could give you out eight hours today, it'll be good. Y'all on an eight-hour stream? We could probably be good today if we do that. Nigger in Philly, okay? You know, if you're from Philly or no Philly colloquial terms, they'd be on some, they like saying, you're on some nut shit.

Well, I guess somebody took that literally. Somebody nutted on a female's leg. The dude ran out, ran out of the store, and finally Philadelphia Police has caught the motherfucker, and I have a lot of questions and a lot of thoughts about a motherfucker who could just see a random woman in the store and nut on her leg while she was passing that's crazy okay that nigga need to be on plug talk like what the nigga nutted on command like instantly like that's a trait anyway we'll

talk about that uh what else what else what else oh oh after last last uh hilarious stream we did they get a people i got a couple people who hit me up not every you know everybody had they well fortunately and unfortunately i don't think we i don't spoil the the media ranking list I don't think we get ranked on the media rankling list without what we do on stream these days. Stream is very important to what we do these days. However, I always tell y'all, we started stream to be low-key. And yeah, anytime I mention somebody whether Joe Kling or not, they hit me up. Shout to my man Safari.

I guess he watched the video or bit I did about him and whatever. And he said, act, you're a fucking genius. You're hilarious. And you're right. It's everything you said. I was thinking. All right, appreciate that. Roddy Rich also hit me up.

I mean, we had a conversation. But, yeah, a lot has gone on. Okay, we're going to kind of get into certain stuff. So you guys let me know how you want to start. Don't matter to me. Don't matter to me. Okay. How do you all want to start here?

All right, let me pull up comments first and foremost. what is good with y'all. I see y'all up in this bitch. John Blue, thank you for the donation. I'm not going to read it yet because I don't want to spoil it. And Hemie Lifestyle. I see you, my boy, you. I hope you, you, um, living good and prospering.

Okay. We could start off hot if y'all want. Y'all want to talk about the media list or y'all want me to talk about some of the Kendrick stuff or y'all want me to talk about, unfortunately, did he? Whatever. Or Candice owns. Oh, yeah, Candice owns an Eminem. Well, Candice owns.

Owens, Candice Owens been on an ether and spree. She got an M and then she got it. Well, no, well, before, she did an interview with Don Lemon, and I'm going to be honest with you. She was going crazy. Like, she was like trying to drop 30. So, update on 6-9's IRS cars. Okay, put 6-9 on the list, too. I'll bring 6-9 up later.

The female prison guard? Oh, I heard she's spoken out. the dude who fucked her is trying to get on the stream but I'm trying to get her on the stream I was like what the fuck I want to talk to the prisoner about the prisoner's manager hit me up which I was like I was confused I was like wait does he rap nah why the fuck he need a manager

in case y'all want to do interviews he's like an influencer wait so you tell me because he fucked a chick in prison he's an influencer now I'm with him I actually agree we're living in the times or the age of like anything you do that somewhat, let's not say notable, but could generate conversation, thrust you in a bracket of quit your job,

fuck your life of crime, let's get on the straight and narrow because you're an influencer, right? So the prisoner who fuck the girl, he's an influencer now, even though I think he's still in prison, right? I think he's in the hole at this point. Then, I'm pausing that, by the way.

And also the hawk to a girl. Like, you know what I mean? I have a whole theory about that too. I mean, it's the easiest way to, it's the easiest way to come up right now. And I have like a really, for all white blondes out there, that's a little bit country, if this don't show you that the smallest possible, or the smallest, like, sexualization of yourself is going to have America in awe. Y'all got no excuse for losing.

Okay. Some of y'all, you know, y'all have been gifted. and when I say gifted because that's just what people seem like they're clamoring to because I guarantee if that was a black chick that said it, nobody gives a fuck. Spanish chick said it, nobody give a fuck. A white country chick who said that, like by now, like, as soon as she said that, I put her on the clock, I'm like, all right, I'm about to see this pussy in like at least a week. I'm definitely going to see what she got going on.

She's not even doing Only fans. She's getting paid $30,000 for her parents just because of one phrase. Ridiculous. Anyway. Somebody says the London guy. Yeah, that London video supposedly isn't fake because the woman did get arrested for it. So surely got arrested for it.

Hold on. Okay. All right. We'll start off pretty hot and kind of talk about the hip-hop media list. Give me one second before we do that. Society's social. stupid. Yeah. I mean, I want to say stupid. It's like, when people wonder why a sexy red exists,

it's like, why does the hawk to a girl exist? Like, as much as we do is complain, and I feel like I'm about to go into a topic by just getting on a rant, as much as we complain about the ratchets, like, say, even in hip-hop culture, like the sexy res or like the city girls who, you know what I mean, like, by extension, I think men do get a benefit from it because if you, like, the generation of women have changed. Like, women used to be like, my body's a temple. I don't give it up until I'm in love. Like, all that bullshit's out of the window.

Like, now it's like a fucking nigga for a bag. Fuck it on a rich ass, scamming ass, nigger. Like, it's, like, basically, they have diminished sex to be something where they're trying to play on the same, the same rulebook that men play on. And we're like, wait, so you think that when you gave me the pussy and just because I bought you some food, like, that was equal? Fuck it. Like, we're down with it. Like, we're not mad. Like, you know,

back in the day, you had to, like, court a girl. You had to, like, really put some time and effort. Make her think you're really going to wife her. Nowadays, it's just, man, smashing dash. So there's a huge swat of the female population who's like, no, we're just like y'all. And we're on the reverse Kendrick shit. We ain't going to be like, like, they're like, okay.

Yeah, y'all are like us. Except, I, I just, don't see the benefit. So anyway, we do have certain people who complain about it because it's, it's, is the degeneracy. Like, you see the degradation of women and the type and quality of women in society. However, like this talk to a girl, the people who are getting their famous are dudes who want women like that to just be sexualized. So it is what it is. So, you know what I mean? Sometimes we complain about the shit that also benefits us. Like, basically I'm saying, we don't know what we want.

You know what I mean? Because I don't think it's a bunch of women making hawk tour famous, right? But it's a bunch of dudes who are probably sharing the meme and also subliminally telling other girls, this is how you get our attention. Tell us how good you. Shut the fuck up about anything that is of any substance. Tell us how good you could suck cock. That's how you get our attention. You know what the other girls are going to do?

All right, well, y'all just like the girls who do the hawk tour. I'm going to do the hawk tour. You know what I mean? So then when we see all hoes, We then start complaining. Damn, it's too many holes out here. Damn, where's the good girls? So it's the nature of the human spirit.

We're never really satisfied. You know what I mean? Like, us dudes, we want all the holes, but we want some pure good girls as well that's untouched and never been whatever. You know what I mean? Like, for example, I'll give you that a quick example. You know how I get turned off now?

As soon as you're... I have a couple red flags. I've told you about these red flags already. When I find out a girl watched baddies, or I see that she's been listening to JT City Girls sexy red You know she's subscribing to some of that dumb shit That those women expouses she follows Ari We're gonna talk about Ari about her remind me with that

That was hilarious She posted some shit about her birthday And I've seen every girl's Instagram Like I'm just on my Explorer page Every girl's Instagram story shared that one fucking post Of Ari celebrating her birthday And everyone had some shit like One day I'm gonna get this guy

I wish my nigga was like this y'all niggas be playing I want this Like it's kind of crazy However I forgot to be my point would say that I'll get back to it later Anyway Before I get into that

I feel like I was going to go on a tangent Too quickly Let me actually pull up The Media list So Complex put out their their list I'm going to be honest with you

And truthfully And y'all could tell me If this was disrespect I had no fucking idea The list was coming out I had no idea Well I figured I was gonna be on the list But I had like nobody gave me a heads up

Nobody was like Yo act you want to get an interview Your act you want to send in some new pictures Nothing You know how I found out I'm on just Instagram and like an old friend of mine just DM me and say, hey, congratulations. And I'm like, for what? Now it's a girl who DM me.

So I'm thinking when girls say congratulations, they're almost like saying you got a baby or something like that or a bitch. I'm like, what, wait, what? And I'm like, why you congratulate me? You're number one. And I'm like, number one and what? And then they sent me the link. I was like, oh. So, you know, I was listening to Joe like last year, talk about how like complex.

like, you know what I mean, hit him up and it was like, did a little interview with him. Man, nigga, I never knew this shit was that. I never knew I was on this list till this list came out, bro. Anyway, let me see if I could find it. Media list. Here we go. So it's a power ranking and it's the hip hop.

It's the hip hop. Let me make sure I get this straight. The hip hop media power ranking list of 2024. They're saying this is an. annual lists of media power rankings that reflects which personalities dominated the past year. Now, I have to kind of like, you know, once again, at least read their criteria. Because with any list, if you don't consider their criteria, you go off what you think should happen, you're going to be fucked up.

So, this last year we published our inaugural hip-hop media power ranking. Joe Bunn took the top spot. Fierce commentary ensued from both on and off the list, life, moved on, the hip-hop media ecosystem continued its relentless churn. But then, in late March, the sudden release of the incendiary, Kendrick Lamar, saw, uh, what, of an incendiary Kendrick Lamar burst on a song from Metro and Future called Like That brought a simmering megastar beef to full boil. Many back and forth followed, and the Drake Kendrick Lamar Award took our timelines hostage.

It hasn't been let go since. The ongoing beef stimulus has provided endless fodder for hip-hop media, those who lean into his hardest benefited greatly while some stayed out of the fray lost ground. The 2024 Hippah Media Ranking reflects the shifts that have resulted as the smoke of the battle is cleared. There are seven newcomers who weren't ranked at all, plus a new name at number one. As with previous lists, the ranking below reflects the current moment, not the entirety of one's career. Okay, this is what I wanted to see. So it reflects the current moment, not the entirety of one's career.

We ranked each media personality based on their impact in the space since the release of our inaugural list in 2020. Complex employees and hosts were not eligible for inclusion. Let the debates begin. Now, because I want to give my pain on the list overall, actually, no, man, should I start? at number one or 25. You tell me. Should I start at number one or number 25? Now, I'm looking at your comments.

25? Okay, we'll start at 25. All right, so, 25 was gifted to Gay P. Gay P, if you don't know, is, I believe, the owner, but also the host of the platform on the radar. Now on the radar is actually a pretty dope platform. It's a platform that shit, at this point, you know, it's the East Coast version of what the L.A. Leakers freestyle is, but it's a lot more than that. It's a place for new discovery.

It's a place for, it's this place that's been pushing the envelope. And it's one of the dopest place you can see new upcoming talent showcase their talent more than just an interview or, you know, sometimes, you know, these days when it comes to media, people have to showcase personality and music. If you just only care about music, I think they've been doing an amazing job. Like, you know what I mean? Of course, the Yadi brought his crew up there. And if you didn't know about them, then after he brought them on tour and you start seeing them develop more, everybody kept going back to that freestyle. Drake and Central C, they clearly had a freestyle that even took to DSPs.

It's been kind of really popping. Also, I got to give him credit. Got to give him credit. because on the on the radar there's a lot of freestyle things nowadays ones where the mic just drop down in front of you and you're out in the middle of nowhere or whatever and you're just rapping

he's made it where artists respect his brand and platform by the way I got a shout to Fabio Favio murdered his shit too people you could tell they're taking his shit serious they're almost looking at at what he got going on with on the radar like BT Rap City like the freestyle If you guys know anything about hip-hop, BT, you know, Rap City, you know, with Tigger, like, yo, people used to really take that shit serious because they knew that she was going to live forever. And I could see people writing custom verses and really wanting to put their best for forward. So him being on here, I actually, I would like this.

I'm going to tell you why. Because, again, you know, and off top, if we're talking about platforms versus personality. And this is where I have to give my criteria if I'm going to give comments on the line. list. Before you hear, any comments on this list, let me tell you how I think of the space. I think we have media personalities and then we have media platforms. And a lot of times, some people might have a great media platform, but them as a personality isn't the thing that, you know, is the most viable in the space at the time. Let me give an example. For example, I do believe when it comes to, like, for example, say cheese, I like Sean Cotton.

But Sean Cotton, I do believe the stronger point of what he got going on is what he's curated with this platform. Say Cheese, amazing platform. I'm going to be honest with you. And it's just mutual respect for me and Sean. I'd raise hell if there was a hip-hop platform list and Sean Cotton not top, well, say cheese and, well, Sean Cotton owns it, was not top 10. Like, come on.

We got to make this to make some sense. You know what I mean? Like the guy's been really doing this thing. But now if we're talking about personality, I understand they might not give him the nod, even though, by the way, I want to say, as well, I think Sean should be on the list, which I don't know if he is.

I'm just looking for the first time. Okay, so I look at on the radar as a platform. I look at Gabe P as the personality. So, yes, on the radar popping, Gay P, how influential to that is he? And by the way, let me give you my quintessential determinate factor for personality. Actually, I'll get there, I'll get there.

I'll get there. All right, so he's number 25. All right, cool. R. Sean Jawi. Now, I'm going to be honest with you. I've never heard of this nigga until I see this. Okay? And this is where I think, you know, I've been really campaigning to say,

I wish we could just do platforms and then personalities. Because with all due respect, I don't know him as a personality like that. I do know about kids takeover. You get what I'm saying? Like, is he like the main person on kids takeover? Or about him on Chippin?

Let me see. Yeah, he's, yeah, kids. Yeah, so like I think kids takeover is a really viable platform, but I don't know, like, here's my thing about a personality. If I don't know none of your. your hip-hop opinions, I can't just be like, oh, great, I'm sorry. You know what I mean? That's what I'm saying.

Kids takeover, I think it should be on the list for platforms, 100%. That's why I keep saying, even with the BT Awards, let's have two categories. One for personalities, one for platforms. Because there's certain type of, like, personalities who necessarily, they might just bounce from platform to platform. But their takes, their effect or opinion on hip-hop actually is what make them viable. and then there's certain platforms that they have platformed so much hip hop that they're a factor. That's where I think kids takeover is.

Okay, all right, Jason Lee. Okay, this was interesting. With all due respect, I love Jason Lee. You know what I mean? Pause. I know he's gay. That's my guy, though. Still, don't play with him.

Anyway, I think Jason Lee is just a power player in media. Hip-hop? I don't know if I could really say he's like... And by the way, I don't want this to sound like I'm just... criticizing everybody, right? But I'm also like, you know, I'm a little scrutinizing the whole list, too. You know, his stuff is a lot more like shade roomish, but I'm not going to lie. A lot of his, the stuff they cover kind of shapes in mold, especially female hip-hop,

and female hip-hop has been on the uptick in the last year. Like, there's a lot of things that has shaped always, you know, Cardi B and Nikki and Meg and whatever for the cases that has originated from Hollywood Unlocked and with Jason Lee, obviously. And I've even gone to them for that. Other stuff, I can't say. I mean, again, Hollywood Unlocked and Jason Lee, definitely in the power media list in black culture. When I think of hip-hop where I'm basing around the music primarily, not as sure, okay? Oh, Adam 22 is at 22.

Wow. That's kind of interesting. I'm going to be honest with you. I don't think Adam is going to give a fuck because, you know, at this point, he has to realize he's white. And I don't think that he's cared that much. Once you don't care that much about some of the cultural things,

you can't care about accolades that the culture will give. You get what I'm saying? I think he's about the money, right? So I personally believe, supposedly last year he was 19, they put him in 22 now. I think they used a lot of things against him that he probably does to make money. Let's say one, porn.

They use it against him. Bro, some of your fame is because you're doing porn. Some of your biggest highlights in the last year is because your wife got penetrated by another man. That's not hip-hop. It was not not-hop. I think they use it against him rather than only looking at his hip-hop. And by the way, this might be to some of his fault, too.

Some of the things, because I think Adam does a lot in terms of interviewing hip-hop artists and a lot with hip-hop. But because some of his bigger moves end up being porn or some other stuff, it overshadows the hip-hop aspects of what he does. Because I'm going to be honest with you, whether you want to call a culture of alteration or not when it comes to like some of these smaller rappers or like rappers from Chicago and other people Adam is still

top five in platforming the most upcoming rappers period definitely and he's not just outside of the conversation he's sitting with these niggas and interviewing them so I think they're using things against him and it's probably just because he's involved in a lot more other things that they're probably just saying, you know, it's kind of like the Jason Lee ranking. Like, you know, Jason Lee is a power, top 10 power media person overall, which I think Adam is too.

But if we're talking about hip hop, they're like, well, yeah, you're lit, but not necessarily for your hip hop. And this is where I get to like the criteria. If I'm thinking about a media hip hop list, if I was on this list to vote or on the committee to vote, the first thing when determining my list, I'm going to say this. does a opinion about hip hop or music from you matter? That is a main thing. I think the Drake and Kendrick thing was one of the things that showed. There were certain people, people didn't give a fuck about what they said. There were certain people, people did.

That's a big indicator of how the rank in, my opinion, should be, when it comes to media personality within hip-hop. Right? So I think they're looking at Adam like, yeah, we don't really, you know what I mean? A lot of his notable, you know, moments, which, by the way, I could tell they're not that research to Adam. He just did the cold-out black interview like three days.

They put it as his most memorable moment in the past year. That's crazy. That's kind of fucking crazy. You know what I mean? And then they put the fool, you can tell they just put anything. Like, bruh. they put the Fulio interviews just because Fulio died. Like they probably just seen in their search. Oh, that's

No. Like, no. Like Adam has been doing really notable things. It's just that he has other things that are a little bit, you know, more popular. Now, Van Lathen. Van's my man. I don't know what the fuck this was about. It's like, with all

due respect, it's no way you put Van Lathen. Van Lathen is more into politics. He does say and expound hip-hop opinions cultural opinions but ain't no way you got Adam 22 and Van Lake 21. Come on, bro.

Even if you think that everything Adam says is trolling or a bunch of bullshit, come up, bro. Come on. Come on, right? Oh, my boy, Traplore Ross. He's 20. I think Traplore Ross

deserves this. Not even gonna lie to you. Maybe even deserves to be a little bit higher. I'm gonna tell you why. Traplore Ross through his research and through how thorough he is with a lot of, you know, there's a lot of people doing these documentarian type, you know, pieces that are really popular on YouTube now.

Traplor Ross not only has he set up what he got going on as like a fucking movie. Like he's the only nigga dropping shit for six hours or four, three hours and we'll watch the whole thing. But if we're talking about a personality or someone who has impact, not. saying that we weren't already saying the King Vaughn thing, but everybody reacted to the King Vaughn. Is he a serial killer question because of him? Again, not saying he the first person to say it,

but he made it a thing where every Chicago rapper that went to an interview had to answer that question. Yo, is, you think King Vaughan was a serial killer? That's where I'm going to say there's a lot of impact. A huge amount of impact, right? Um, shit. I, uh, I think he mentioned also, or he categorized even the young boy situation. And I think young boy kind of like indirectly kind of like almost responded to it as well.

So Traplow Ross, I'm going to be honest with you, definitely deserves to be on this list, if not a little bit higher. Okay. And by the way, you know, I, I got a salute to my man Traplow Ross. I think in the last year, he's done a good job. I've always said this. Let me tell all y'all, YouTube is this. You want to get good content? but at certain point you're going to have to cross a bridge.

Here's the bridge I'm going to tell you. Because I was there too. I was there probably like 2016. Yeah, you're really lit on YouTube, but you got to start putting your face out there. You've got to cross over. And with that is going to do other people's platforms, get out of your comfort zone.

And Trappler Ross, even though he lives in the UK, the thing is shit. He came, did my platform like twice or three times now. Like I saw him in Miami. He came to my headquarters. He's in L.A. He's moving around, you know, And he's definitely shaping how people kind of see a lot of these contemporary stories.

And I'm going to be honest with you. What he's doing right now is going to be invaluable research that I guarantee in 10 years, a Hulu, a Netflix, or some other bigger entity when they realize the plethora of not only information but entertainment or, let's just translate to dollars that they could get from doing a hip-hop documentary, they're either going to. try to get him or they're going to use a lot of his information, right? He's the person who I believe has done, like when Vice did it, like he does it even better than Vice.

Truth be told. Okay, so that's 20. Nadesca Alexis. Now, Nadesca is my sister. I love Nadesca. You won't ever hear me say nothing negative about her. So don't you even hope? She's ranked 19.

She actually went up a spot. And one of the things I want to say, again, I'm biased, so it's cool. Dedezka has her own show on Apple. She's very influential with a lot of the acts that even passed through that building were Apple music, let's be specific. And honestly, I think more than, you know, she's not the person I would probably be like, yo, I want the the the the the hot take from necessarily but when it comes to impact putting people on championing and also having some really good nuance i'm telling you i my thing i could never say nothing bad about the deska i would have never done i would never do i would have never done

everyday struggle without de deska like the deska was the rock desk i love you you deserve it the deskska every year you should be on this list all right and that's just me i'm i think i'm speaking truthfully but i'm also supervised so fuck out All right. Sway. Um, it's almost, I feel like it's blaspheme for me to even rank Sway and Sway's year. A guy who's been in hip-hop for like 20 to 30 years. And what I mean, been in hip-hop, I remember going to high school, listening to Sway. And Sway was just the biggest figure on earth.

I remember like when I'm really getting into shit and I'm trying to find old Sway interviews, some of them old pock interviews with no video just audio it's hard for me to be like yo you know i mean sway's going to be on this list somewhere i think the only thing that matters is is it like a year where he gets like a conge interview like you know obviously remember when that year when it was like yo you ain't got to answer sway like that you got to put him top 10 but other than that him being on this list i don't care if he's 18 or 25 is sway it's sway callow way um someone who I've tried to take notes from, like even when I do my podcast, I try to do illustrious intros. One of them is because of Sway Sway's just amazing, right?

Angeloie E. Angelie, if you don't know, formerly of the Breakfast Club, now she has way up with Angelie and also a lip service. Last year, she was ranked 14. She felt three spots. One thing I got to give Anjali a lot of credit for is that, you know, she still has that demeanor of maybe not necessarily an Angie in terms of making people feel comfortable, but she'll get some of these tough ass niggins to talk about them eating ass. You know what I mean? She'll get them to a comfort zone that only a woman could do. And I think she's, you know, a lot of people thought she was going to disappear.

And actually, I thought, I had no idea what to think after she left the breakfast club, but I think she's kind of held on. Now, again, I also have to tell y'all and premise everything I'm saying that I'm, you know, some of y'all might be looking on a. digital aspect. Like, well, we don't see this going viral or we don't see this. But she's still pretty relevant in the space. So, you know, slew to Angel E. Definitely still doing the thing. Give me one second. Give me what the fuck. You, you, I'm reading some of your comments. Look at some of y'all told my Gucci, man. That's a, that's a Gucci man. Let me stop.

okay all right so now we're at um we're at 16 big boy big boys like sway uh again i mean he did have the muster interview recently oh wait was he on stage at the pop-out show and he had the conye interview yeah he did have the um the the the conier and tie dollassar interview which you know conier dropped uh the vultures album so that's actually dope again i don't really care or i won't judge like somebody like big boy because these people and even angie martinas and he's at 15 to be honest i got to say angie's consistently did her thing and she's the most relatable person she's still the she's still the Oprah of hip hop media in the aspect of once you're a rapper that is lit on the blogs like the bitches like you but now you want to cross over to that

conversation of growth, the conversation that may be somebody in their 30s, say you're a 20-year-old rapper, you want some, you want to get a different audience. You want people in their 30s and 40s and 50s to fuck with you. You want to go sit down with Angie. She's like almost like an auntie, like a mom type vibe. She's not invasive. She's so relatable. She's kind of like the Oprah this shit, if you ask me. You get what I'm saying? Uh, bootleg kev. Shout to Bootle Kev. I'm going to be honest with you. I think last year he wasn't even ranked. But I think he's been going hard for his content. He went up to Gravedigger Mountain.

There's some shit with a young boy. He's been having a good amount of moments where you know, for better or for worse, actually not even for better for worse. I think he has a really good grasp of hip-hop. And yeah, I've seen too many moments that

has happened on this platform and happen with him to say he shouldn't be on this list. So 14, I actually agree. What the fuck? Rory and Mili-Moh. I mean, I should let that beef go. Nah, I can't let it go.

I can't let it go. All right, Rory and Milly-Moll. They rank 13. And I'm going to be honest with you. This right here is definitely an OVO stimulus package. And I'm going to be, like, to keep it real, these two niggas I considered, I told you I most famously, I put these niggas in a bunk bed casket.

And I believe that. And I still do. And I'm going to be, I'm going to be honest with y'all. And let me be very fair and just blunt about this shit we do in terms of hip-hop commentary and whatever. You know, I never like these niggies, especially when they started having such adverse opinions about me, is because they were niggas that lacked an opinion. they were niggas who lacked passion. So anytime I had an opinion, they were judgmental. Because these were, well, I could see it this way and I could see it that way.

Listen, this is media personality land. Pick aside, have an opinion. We don't need a nigger to be like, oh, well, it's half-half-empty type of niggas. So when they were talking, I had to get them the fuck out of here quickly. What I've realized is that this Drake and Kendrick battle, especially, which, by the way, I ain't going to lie. This detergent, hot and motherfucker, um, um, um, ma.

A fire lit under him. I think it's probably because Drake was hitting him. Like, yo, whatever, whatever. But like, it's the first time I seen them passionate. And it just kind of shows. Because if anybody knows these two bozos right here, they were the niggas who were always, anytime they used to judge me,

they used to try to come across as, now we're too cool for that. Now, we're cool. That's why Joe Bunn fired him. They were too cool for school. Except in the last, I want to say about like four to five months, they finally start realizing, hey, maybe sometimes you're not going to look cool. Maybe sometimes you just have to live on your passions or whatever you actually think.

Let it all hang out there. And actually, I'm taking some credit for it. And I know Drake taking some credit for them niggas to be on the list because these things would have been watched up. And last year they weren't ranked and this year they are. So again, you know, I hate to give niggins secret sauce when I don't particularly like him, but let's see how these niggas fair after the Drake thing. Because, again, if you are not passionate about nothing, nobody gives a fuck about what you're saying. Like, what y'all know with me, y'all have seen me cry, laugh, fall asleep.

Y'all have seen extreme emotions from me and it's not out of, not me doing bullshit. I remember one time I fell asleep with some Tori Lane shit, that's when I got into it with a Rory nigga. And he was like, I'm faking it. No, motherfucker. I'm not getting online to give my opinion to be cool. I don't want to be cool. I just want to be me. There's sometimes people who really like me who'll be like, yo, act.

You was on some bozo shit. I don't agree with that a take. And I'm like, well, I don't know. That's really what I think. It's okay. You know, so I always thought these guys were just going to fizzle away because without a actual opinion or without passion, nobody cares. But somehow the Drake thing lit a passion under them.

We'll see. them being 13 I'm not sure I put them over like Kev I would put them I don't have sure I'm put them over Traplow Ross I'd probably put them

like closer to 25 I'm gonna keep it a bean but all right they're on the list fuck him Yadi and Mitch what the fuck hmm that's interesting you know Yadi's turned into

like a personality of sorts and that has showcased a different side of him of course he had the J-Cole interview which was amazing. He was pretty much the, you know, I know y'all called me the spokesperson for Drake, but now he was the spokesperson for like all the,

for all the dogs and, you know, her loss and, you know, yeah, I could see. I could definitely see. Yeah, Yadi definitely made some waves as a personality this year. But Yaddi's always, to me, been more than a rapper. The same shit, you know, so if I'm Yaddy, it got to be satisfying. it has to be satisfied right that currently he's getting praise for everything they criticize them for

i remember me and yadi talking privately nothing too invasive so i could share it when he said he said you know why they get mad at me and they hate me more than they hate everybody else on that 2016 freshman list they said he said oozy's not going to answer those questions he's not going to respond to that publicly 21 ain't going to do it but me i'm not going to duck the conversation i'm going to go answer that head on. But then they make me to post his child for, oh, this is the trash guy, who blah, blah, and he's like, I'm just not going to sit on my opinion and not give it.

So he was crucified for that back then. As time went on, not only if people realized, Yadi's like an amazing genius when it comes to music. Shit, he helped out Drake, right? People have realized, damn, he actually has some opinions about not only culture, but even the conversation with him and Jake Cole, You saw that Yadi was pretty much a student of the game, right?

And if we're talking about growth, that is such a tremendous growth for Yadi who when we saw him start, like, like with all due respect to Yadi, when we looked at the 2016 freshman list, if everybody had to just, you know what they say, don't judge a book by a cover,

let's say we're judging that cover by the cover. We would have voted Yaddy as the dumbest niggum on that list. He looked dumb. Like that niggum looked like an airhead. What he's proven since then, he wasn't Trinidad James. I'm not saying Trinidad James is dumb. But Trinidad James for a minute until he got, I want to say, relevant, he became a caricature of his own self.

Now, Yadhi had the gold grills in and he had the red hair. And if Yaddy was saying, I got to stay in this character for my whole career, he would have been out of here. You know what he did? He grew. You don't even seem really as much or ever with even red hair or even. than beads or you don't see him with the fucking, like, he just has his regular teeth or not regular teeth. He has a little vener's in, you know what I mean?

He's changed up his look for a more mature look, which shows that he had to go through the process of ditching the character that could be a caricature of yourself. And he became someone who was growing. So salute to him. All right, we're getting to think of things, people. 11 Norrie. Hmm. This is interesting to me. So Nori being at 11 is a little bit shocking, but I get it.

But I'm also wondering what's going on. Now, when we get to the Norrie, the who else, Gillian Wallow and Joe Button conversation, those guys always had the best podcast. But I feel like last year and the year before, especially, Drink champs, I thought it was like pretty much number one in terms of podcasting and shit definitely one of the big platforms to be on. I can't tell if maybe Drink Chams has lost his luster. And by the way, I'm saying this respectfully.

I love my media partners. I'm never trying to shit on, especially the guys who I know they don't shit on me. But what I'm speaking of, like I remember, I think they dropped on Sunday. Knickers used to be like ready to... Or maybe that's the cause of what happens in dubley when you have a interview platform. When you have an interview platform, it might just revolve around who you interview.

And even though I think anytime I've seen Norie away from that platform or Norrie's just talking, Norrie even came on a episode of Everyday Struggle with him back in. Norris is extremely smart. He's also a painated. He's funny. He's an entertaining guy when it comes to hip hop takes, but he is an interviewer when it comes to drink champs.

And maybe didn't have the bit because, look, they're saying the most memorable interviews or moments with Benzino and Luda. I guess that won't do it, right? But I'm kind of shocked that he fell out of the top 10 because pretty much he was definitely top five. And his podcast, I still believe his podcast is a top five podcast, but Nouri is the life and soul that podcast. Anyway, let's keep it go.

By the way, Nora, I love you. Those are no shots. Nard war. Okay. Now, Nard war is someone I can't even really, like, try to figure out or try to, like, is he, no matter where they put Nardwar, he is another one of the legacy people on this list. You just got to give him his credit. Nard war, you're amazing.

Nard war, you're one of the reasons. A lot of people do what they do. you're one of the original people that if I'm going to think about awkward style interviews you are that you're one of the actually not one of the you are the most research person when it comes to every hip-hop artist that you interview it's still like beyond bounds and leaps you're the guy so you being 10 despite you know the Tyler created an interview did do good. You know, obviously, the ice spice during two. I think, did he catch oozy in the last year? Or was that tripping? It still doesn't matter or was it card? I can't remember. Anyway, regardless

of that, Nardwar is Nardwar. I'm not going to judge this position. Gilly and Wallow. I was also surprised by this too. Gilly and Wallow, I still think they, well, first of all, Gileon Wallow, I could watch them on a reality show. I want to watch Gileon Wallow in a reality show, literally. I watch their stories and their posts like it's a reality show. Two of the most hilarious people. I like their dynamic. It's one of those things, you know, when you see like a duo and it makes you feel good? It makes you feel good watching these two interact.

When they joke on each other, when they clown each other, when they wrestle, when they start. Like, it's just good. They also put artists in a really good place. Now, the only thing I would say about why I could even justify, if I'm trying to justify this list, them being ranked four last year and this year being ninth, I'm wondering if hip-hop or,

was it a down year for hip-hop podcast? And I'm going to connect it to the drink champ thing. Was it a down-year for hip-hop podcasts who, by and large, rely on interviews? Or are people looking at podcasts a little bit different. And I'm going to get to like some of the late, well, we're going to get into eight to one.

But I still think Gileon Walo have a top three podcast that is in hip-hop. So how could their power ranking fall if they still are top three in terms of a podcast? I still think that if we're talking about hip-hop podcast respectfully, and I'm not,

I don't think I do even off the record enough to really qualify in that conversation anyway right now. but I still think it's Joe Drin Chamsin and Gilea Wala. Like, you know, with all due respect to Matt Hoffing, there's some other podcasts, and they're still top three. But why would they drop? I'm almost wondering if maybe that medium is becoming less,

like it had two hot years and then people are kind of going to it less, or maybe the big interviews didn't go there this year. I don't know. All right. Love Gileon Wala, though. two guys who they show a lot of artists love. Also, I still think that they should be ranked higher. Gilly had Gilly Fet.

Yo, they've expanded way beyond a podcast, and I'm going to be honest with you, of anybody on this list, if we look at real world activation and how they've acted. Like, I think they even did like a boxing event or something like that. These guys have really activated their audience and them being a media personality.

We have to think about that too, right? It's not about just who I have. talking points, right? Like, yeah, maybe they're not giving the hot takes, but their impact is much more vast, if you ask me, right? So Sto's getting in a while a million dollars worth of game. Anthony Fantano. Now, y'all know I don't like this fuck niggas,

so I'm not even going to sit here. I can't even lie to that day, right? I don't even like this fuck, nigga, bro. Oh, man, I don't even like this fucking guy. So I can't even say it. But, um, I think he was running. rang too high, I'm gonna keep it to be with you. Like, I don't think he deserved to be number.

Y'all gonna be honest with you. But again, I'm not a guy who looks to reviewers. Nah, fuck that. Let me just keep it beat. Yo, if y'all gonna put Fantano on this list, gang, I would have took this bum-ass nigger out completely. Facts. I'd take this bum-ass thing off the list completely. And you know who I put?

If we're going in that lane of oh, people who react or review music, I'm putting I'm putting Zius and I'm putting Zius and B-Lu Zias I'm putting

I'm sorry Y'all get mad all y'all want Zia S and B-Loo I'm putting right here bro yo ZiaS and B-Loo just got me back

into watching niggins to react to music videos I even hit them about it I was like bro I can't remember what song they reacted to and I'm dying laughing but it feels like

you know they're so relatable so cultural I'm sorry I'm going with ZiaS and B-Loo Lou, bro, I'm sorry. I don't care. Okay? And here's the thing. And, you know, even though I'm, I kind of am hating on this fucking nigga right now, because I don't like him, because he talks shit about me. But I'll say, bro, I don't think he aims to be like a hip-hop guy. I think he reviews

all music. Now, if we're talking about platforms, yeah, he'd be on a platform list, but on a hip-hop list, I don't know one hip-hop opinion this fuck-nigger got other than him saying that just saying everything Drake did is bad Drake got a son that's bad Drake is alive that's bad like that's only thing I know this nigga says I don't know anything else this nigga said in terms of hip hop opinions the last year but maybe I'm not tuned in so I'm not gonna be mad

Ebro hmm it's another fucking out now I'm playing yo chai-am I full of hate Ebro being up here on As number seven Man, I don't know one thing hip-hop One thing Ebro is done

Yo, I feel like Ebro has got this position Because of his power in the game I keep to tell you, Ebro is the most powerful Me Your Personality in the game Ebro runs Apple Music So if Ebro wants to shut your shit down to Apple Music He could play list your shit at Apple. He's a global head of hip-hop at Apple Music

I don't think he should qualify for this list To keep it real, every time I'm listening to Ebro, he sounds out of touch, sounds like he's lost in the 90s, and clearly has zero idea what's going on currently and is not in the know. I'm sorry, when I'm listening to a nigga like that, basically just spew out shit that like he think he's on Hot 97 in 2004. I'm usually like, God damn, who watches this shit? But there's probably an audience.

It's probably the 35 plus crowd. You get what I'm saying? And yeah, I mean, other than that, like, polite this. a gunner interview? I didn't even know he did a gunner interview. Bro. What's up?

It's the first day I've seen this. You get what I'm saying? Nicky, it's no way. Yo, if you in the top 10 and you got a gunner interview and we all want to see Gunna, nigga, if Gillian Wallow got a gunner interview, nigga, we'd be watching

this shit like it was going out of style. Nick, if we had Gunner on drink champs, it would be going crazy. I don't know what the fuck. This thing is all about. Like, again, you know, So I will give Ebro this.

He does have strong opinions. 100% strong opinions on hip hop, whether I think they're outdated or not. He does, like, I give him that credit. He's not a play the middle type of person. So maybe actually he does deserve it. Well, I guess he does deserve to be on it. I'm just, I guess I'm critical of the top 10 because it's like, bro,

like, are you making waves out of here or what? But does he have strong hip-hop opinions? He does. He does. He definitely does. Okay. That makes a little bit of hate with a little bit of, you know. DJ Vlad!

Clap it up for Vlad, man. Now, I'm going to take slight credit for Vlad being on here. Yes. Yes. Hold on. Let me explain. I think, first of all, Vlad is the OG of new media. O.G.

Clap it up, Vlad's the OG of new media. He's set the path. He's also showed love to everybody. him being on this ranking list though it's not only about his platform i think what vlad learned from watching people like me and even some people he interviews and also see our other media outlets like for example even adam 22 with no jumper i think vlad realized that and also probably watching his own audience there was a shift when vlad realized that he had to get more involved with his interviews.

If you listen to a Vlad TV interview now from eight years ago, Vlad tells more stories. He interrupt his guests. It's a dual conversation. It's not just a, oh, I'm asking you questions and you say whatever, the next question.

Vlad is cracking jokes. That's kind of what a personality does, right? He's given his opinion. Oh, I thought this is this. He's giving his hot takes. Granted, most of his platform, but he goes to other people platform. He goes to mine. He's been moving around.

So I think that's what's put Vlad up here because, again, remember, it's not a platform award. This is a personality award. Like, we all know certain things that Vlad things. Like, we all know that that Vlad, you know what I mean, got into it, Aiden Ross, that him and the lead chopper had some issues. We all know that what he thought about Drake and DJ Callet, not saying something about the Palestine, Israel type of situation. Like he's spoken up shit.

Like he's been more vocal and more painated, which I believe that's part of being a personality. Okay. So, congrats to Vlad. Elliot Wilson gets to number five. Okay. Elliot Wilson actually got an upgrade. I think Elliot Wilson they liked his rank in last year.

They gave him number eight. that nigga was tight. I'm going to be honest with you. Maybe through pure and petty annoyance, Elliot has been, he's been going hard, man, the last year. You know, I think there was a battery putting his back by Drake saying that he was doing running gun interviews

that motherfucking rolling loud. And also a lot of people questioning him saying, hey, I don't know how old he is, but I think maybe 50 or over 50. They'd be like, listen, a 50-year-old guy you don't really fit in when you're talking about hip-pop because it's a young man thing. And I'm going to be honest with you. He's done an amazing job of expounded his opinions, whether it's through Twitter, Instagram,

one of his shows, or even going on other people's shows, and kind of doing his thing. You know, I mean, also one of the things you can't knock Elliot about, he has that roller decks of motherfucking, um, kind of. contacts and people who just know him that he's going to have the leg up. Like, for example, a Tyler creator interview? Like, shit. Nick, I've been trying to get a Tyler the creator interview. Yo, Tyler creator, you fake it.

I ain't going to lie to you. Yo, Tyler, the creator went on Hot 97. It was just like, yo, like he was saying something. He basically said he felt away when people like, you know, like academics didn't involve in him certain conversations. So I was like, oh, shit, the nigga watches me. I hit that nigga up asking for interview left or red. You feel what I'm saying?

Yeah, but anyway, you know, I don't have a relationship with him like that. You know, but Elliot clearly does. And I think Elliot has done a great job of not being just seen as legacy, which a lot of people would want to put him in. Like, yo, you are OG, you a legacy. He's been one of them people like, yo, I still want to compete. And if that's the case, he's doing what's needed to be done to compete, and I got to give him credit.

So, so it's my boy. Charlamagne the God um y'all all know charlemagne the god you know again if we're talking about hip-hop media you can say whatever I still think in the grand scheme of things

charlemagne is pretty much the top guy when it comes to black media period you know he's focused on some things that might be politics mental health all that type of stuff but charlemagne is always putting up numbers and doing his thing and he's going to find a way how to age gracefully rather than still covering Julio Fulio. And I think that's the dope thing about him.

The platform of Breakfast Club still, he's still carrying on his back. It's still a viable platform after like, he's approaching like 15 years, God damn it. So I can't even, I can't even knock it. Also, one of the things I'm kind of impressed about by him, I thought he was just done with hip hop. He's been giving a lot more hip-hop opinions recently. and dare I say I've seen glimpses of the old Charlemagne at times because we all know Charlemagne went woke at a point

like he stopped to him out real shit or stopped saying like stuff that would be funny but edgy because he's not trying to get canceled and the other stuff kind of came up so he kind of fell back on everything you know I mean he started being super PC but nah he's been kind of he's been testing the waters again one of the reasons I gotta give

I'm gonna give some of his credit to Andrew Shultz he's seen how Andrew Shultz been letting it hang, been letting his nuts hang, pause. And Andrew Shultz has been succeeded. He's selling out arenas and he's been on Netflix and all these other things that Charlemagne's realized that, oh, I don't have to abandon it. Because I think Charlemagne was trying to become Leonard McElth, Kelvley. That's his real name. He was trying to ditch the persona of Charlemagne the God and become Leonard McCelphley in the case of

let me not do hot takes no more you know again you know he's always talked about shock jock but but having a having a controversial take or saying funny jokes don't make you a shock shock to me you know what I mean a shock jock is just someone who's just saying shit like clickbaited shit to me like charlemagne used to be just fucking hilarious these days it feels like every time he's about to be funny or not these days but like about a year ago I feel like every time it was about to be funny he shut it down to make sure he didn't get canceled.

But these days I'm seeing him kind of opening that bag again, which I think is necessary. So him being number four, I think that's cool as well. Number three, Kai Sanat. So that's my boy Kai Sanat, man. Evaluating Kai Sanat's ranking is like really hard to do. And I'm telling you this right now. I'm telling you this right now.

I haven't seen my name yet. I don't know where I'm at on list. But me and Joe, which I don't think I hit Joe about this yet. I'm telling him like, yo, listen, we love Kyle. Like, come on, like nobody's hate on Kyle. But, bro, the goal got to be for next year, we make sure Kai doesn't get number one.

Because this nigga, Kai, number one, the biggest platform overall. Biggest platform, like the guy has 200,000 people just watching him on a regular. The nigga does 24-hour streams where he's sleeping and is 80,000 people watching. the guy is just like you know he's doing something actually amazing soon he's about to throw a festival I think he could pull a hundred thousand people to pay for a festival in any major city not any major

like New York L.A. Miami I think or Atlanta I think he can do that right he's about to have a festival with rappers like this is how massive of an audience he is now here's the thing and if you want to knock knock whatever he has going on well he's not necessarily all hip-hop He loves hip hop, but he's not doing, he's not under the hip hop umbrella, as in that's the main thing what he's doing. He's just a regular kid that loves hip hop. So his influence on the list comes from his love of hip hop, but he's not necessarily like he lights up a stream that says, let's do hip hop. However, he's at some of the biggest moment. I mean, Nicky Minaj, shit, Drake hitting him up, 21 Savage, offset doing a 24-hour stream.

Kevin Hart, Drewski, these are all people who are very relevant to the conversation, I spice, Tyler. Yo, he's had so many moments that it's kind of crazy that you can't even quantify how much impact his platform has had on those artists, but has had on hip-hop. Like, if we're talking about clips, I think he might have had the most hip-hop clips. And he's not only trying to do hip-hop, but it's just of sheer popularity. and basically he's almost like the he's a nightly show he's a night yeah he's a nightly show he's a nightly show for

people under 25 he's a nightly show for them so whether whether he hangs with a comedian an actor an athlete or a rapper it's like the nightly show it's like Jimmy Fallon it's like Jimmy Kimmel right

but you but if he's doing it enough like the moment he made with Nikki was fucking huge right so again I could never dispute his place on the list and to be honest even this year if he was number one I couldn't even be mad you know I mean it's just it just is what it is now the only I guess the only real knock if I was going to give a knock I think he has an amazing hip-hop platform even though I don't think it's primarily hip-hop but hip-hop does live there or hip-hop is on there frequently as a personality, we do know he's hilarious. We do know he's entertaining.

I don't know if people go to Kai for his opinion. And I think that's the only knock he could get. Like, I don't even think he's even said, or people haven't really put out there, like, who he thought won the battle or he'd be like, he hasn't made, like, he plays the 50 a little bit, like he's not going to, you know, be too gunhole on like hot takes, right? Then we get to number two.

The man, the myth, the one they called the podfather. He was formerly number one last year. He's featured now mostly on the Joe Bunn podcast. And I think without a doubt, you know, when this was said like about last year or the year before, I'm going to be honest with you, one thing we got to give this guy a lot of credit for, a lot of kudos. This nigga might be the oracle. He might have like some type of glass ball that you can see the future.

Because he's definitely right a lot. Whether it's with his hip-hop takes, his takes on business, his takes on the industry. Even if he says it in the moment, and he usually does say it in the moment, that it sounds utterly ridiculous. You're like, what the fuck is this guy talking about? You wait some time. you with a little bit more time than a little bit more and then you'll realize damn this thing was right

I don't think it's a conversation anymore what's the best hip-hop podcast maybe last year it was maybe the year before more than last year but this year I'm going to be honest with you especially 2024 is the most hip-hop year

and what I mean by that is it's the it's the year where we've discuss the most amount of hip-hop, I haven't gone to nobody else's podcast, but Joe Button podcast, to hear opinions about hip-hop. That's a fact. He's also mentioned

on the tailor-made freestyle by AI-2Pock, Drake. So having now undisputedly, the number one podcast in the game, his opinions is weighted, dissected, it interrupts the narrative. You have to realize Drake getting at him in my comment section.

Was Drake realizing, you know, this motherfucker, by him saying this about my album, could set a narrative about my album that I need to address instantly. That shows the power of a voice. And the media personality, you got to have an opinion, you have to have a voice. people need to come to you to hear what you have to say. Invalial amount of things you can learn from his podcast.

Now, you know, I have the pleasure of working with him. Joe ain't the best person to work with. I'll tell you out of this right now. He ain't the best person to work with. You work with him sometimes I might think, maybe I should choke this thing out. But he definitely does no content. He knows content.

He knows how to produce. I've watched him become really good at that, especially since his last crew left because he had to learn how to produce on the fly. And now I think he has a sustainable situation where he could plug and play anybody wants. I don't think, and with all respect to, you know, of course, ice-ish parts. Like, these are guys who, by the way, they do amazing job to center. But I think Joe at this point now knows how to plug and play because he knows how to produce. Like, I don't even have that skill yet because shit, when I try to do podcasts with other people,

if they're not good at podcasting, it feel like I'm pulling teeth or it feel like I'm teaching somebody how to ride a bike. And I usually have a lot of patience, but that's a different skill to make sure people who might not be as good as you in a podcast sense

don't fuck up the product or don't step on each other. And he does an amazing job with that. So anyway, Joe, he's exactly who he thought it was. Again, if he was number one, I would not have a problem with that as well, someone who, you know, I don't know when his pod drop or if you, one of his Patreon members or whatever, usually on a Saturday morning or on a, what is it, Wednesday or

whatever, you jobs the other one, you'll have something that people are reacting to and that there is the impact of it all. So congratulations to Joe. I'm glad, you know, you are at least off the top two. And then we get finally to number one. And it's yours truly. I was a little bit surprised that I was number one, not because I don't think I deserved it. But in life, what's always driven me is that whenever I thought I deserved it, I didn't get it. I've never gotten the validation ever in life that when I felt I worked hard enough, it came back. And I have resentment about that in many different places in my life.

But I've also realized that that resentment made me work hard. That resentment made me, it makes me knock out a 10, 12-hour stream like it's nothing. That resentment makes it when I know they're going to go meet up once a week and the rest of the time they're going to be at bars, this and third. They're just having to go to all time. I say, I'm going to go create content. Fuck vacations. I haven't been on a vacations in two years.

years. That makes me work hard. So I'm not one who, you know, even though I'll be salty at times, but not being number one or just being slighted, it tells me to work harder. And then I see this honor bestowed upon me that, you're number one. Not to get too sappy and not too many, it's a long story. I know this is not a speech, but when I was just starting out, and I had like a love a fear with hip hop I still do

it's passion that makes me cover and do what I do it's not the ancillary things I don't even get to enjoy them I live in a nice house but I don't get to enjoy them because I'm constantly working I still feel like I haven't got to where I want to get to and I'm and I'm in joy for me comes and not being on a beach somewhere

doesn't even come come in the sense of being with I don't know significant other a lot of it comes from doing what I do. I keep telling you I live it. I dream every night about something that's happening within the culture or what I'm working for. This is kind of what my life is all centered around for good and for good and for bad. You know what I mean? It's what makes me happy. I don't know if it's what makes everyone else happy. And I've people have told me eventually it'll change. But I do want to say this. I remember I think the year was like 24. I still had a regular job

And I was doing I was starting to make these videos And they were kind of doing decent Doing good And I remember driving on a New Jersey turnpike And I remember looking up And I ain't going to lie man I heart media was going crazy

With the promotions for the breakfast club I remember seeing DJ envy Charlene the God And Angelouet And every time I would pass it I said damn how do I get to be there I want to be the best and for me

I had to make a lot of decisions and choices in my life and essentially when I say my life I mean damn their old career because I treat my life like the career I said I don't know if I'll ever be number one but I want to be in a conversation and at that time I was very far from the conversation

but how could I get there and you know this you know for anyone who's a YouTuber I hope you guys take this what I'm saying and use it as advice because I was never complacent with what most would have been complacent with. I kept remembering that billboard.

If you're not top one, you're basically not mentioned at all. And if you ain't top one, and if you ain't the number one guy, rest should not be in your vocabulary. Sleepers for the week. I always say this. You can never be mad at someone who gets. more to you if you don't work hard as them. I've never thought I was the most talented person.

I still stutter from time to time now, but I used to stutter more than. Maybe not like flock, but still. I worked on it tirelessly. I studied other people. I took little pieces of them, crafted my own style, put a lot of diligence into research, running a platform, doing things. I remember walking to one of the most important things I'll tell you is this. Let me go back to me meeting Joe Button for the very first time.

I'd covered Joe Bunn and I reported maybe some articles about him that wasn't that good. Joe had me blocked. And when they invited him in a complex, and this was also important thing in my, no, growth, was me doing something out of my comfort zone. And what was in my comfort zone was sitting by the screen. Nobody could see my face. He was doing these videos, which I was getting paid for at that time. That's fine.

You didn't have to do anything else. I could have to stay there. And I said, nah, I want to, I want to be number one. Complex cause. And I remember saying, nah, I'm doing good now. This is 2016, 2017. And I said, I don't need complex. Like, really, I'm kind of doing a lot more numbers than complex.

And then something came. It was like an angel on my shoulder that says, uh-uh, don't be lazy. To be number one, you got to do something. something you've never done before and you've got to be uncomfortable. And at that time, if you look back at me in college, well, freshman year I was definitely in shape. Towards the end of college, I was maybe a little bit, you know, beef here, but I wasn't fat. The years that I just sat in the house doing videos, videos, didn't go out. Also, probably at the detriment of my health a little bit too, because it wasn't working out too, drinking too.

gained weight. And I was a little bit uncomfortable with myself. I'm like, I don't want to go on camera. I don't want to, let me just. But I remember that thing on the shoulder saying, if you want to be number one, you got to do something that you can't, that that makes you feel uncomfortable.

So I went into Complex. First day. And by the way, they told me it was Joe Button. And I said, fuck. I could tell how this is going to go. This nigg is going to probably try to swing on me. And I say, you know what? Fuck it.

to do something you've never done or accomplish something you've never done you've got to do something you've never done and I went in there and I never at this point anything I've gotten in life was based on pure and sheer hard work but I never interpreted as hard work

and I remember one of the questions it was a guy named Noah he asked me because they were very intrigued like this academics guy they said yo how many like how many people do you like hire to like you put out seven videos a day

you have an Instagram page you're running you do this you're streaming how many people work for you I don't know if Joe will see this conversation but I know he'll remember in that room at that point I was living with my girl I had zero employees I ran a whole Instagram by myself

I slept three hours at a time I would sleep three hours at night. I still kind of have that sleep schedule. Three hours at night and about three hours midday, I had to be a 24-hour news network by myself. I had to parse through millions of tweets to get my info, whether it was for Warren Shirek or exclusive shit, go through every DM, post on Instagram,

write up scripts to do videos. It's a 24-hour job. And everybody, a company, were 300 million were very intrigued because they thought I had a team of 10. Listen, how many people worked for you? I didn't want to seem like a peon. And I said to them,

I got like four. It was nobody. It was just me. There was nobody. It was just me. Again, it goes back to what I'm saying. To me, hard work beats talent, talent don't work hard.

I've only known how to outwork people. I've only known how to, you know, listen, I average podcast is three hours. We might end up doing nine. today and then I probably got to come back tomorrow and do six it's now ingrained in me right so that happened then

obviously we know the history that followed me and joe we had an amazing show and um the the person who deserves or the people who deserve this um accolade the most is you guys you guys been rock with me for so long like incredible so long, so, so long that I remember back when I started Twitch and I started streaming, I started streaming off of the philosophy of 300.

I had a million subs or about a million subs on my main page and I said, I rather have 300, like 300 strong soldiers than a million fly-by-night fans. and that was my mentality. When I started streaming, I had 23 people watching the first stream. Then I had 30, and then I had 56. And for a while, we pretty much, you know, maybe 100, 200.

But this is over 10 years now. And my thought was, if you follow me from YouTube to another platform to a stream that probably was shitty, you know, I'm probably like, you act, why don't you have, yeah, I got a better house but like still got pretty much the same camera don't do that much even though i'm going to do some i r else of this year me trying to get 300 loyal supporters to watch me because i wanted to find my 300 have now turned into us having pretty much every time we stream upwards of 15,000 people watching that's amazing that's 10 years of work 10 years of dedication 10 years of y'all rock with me believing in me. Y'all have heard the worst things about me. Listen, I know how I am,

and I know sometimes I ain't shit. And this is why I do love y'all, and I say this accolade is for the chat. Because anytime I talk to even appear, one of the things they say is that when my name comes up, they have to defend me because people always be like, man, why are you fuck with that nigga academics? And I know if you watch me and if I'm on your search history, or you would be like, oh, shit, I got to go watch act. You'd probably have gotten that in real life too. So I salute all of y'all because that's exactly what really does matter. You all have supported me.

It's allowed our platform to have a voice and to complete that story of the Billboard. I remember, I said, I was saying, how do I, I want to be number one. How do I get up there? You know, thank God for the internet and the changing code. that, you know, radio is still an amazing place, but it's not, I don't think it's a place you have to be or end up if you want to be number one. I think this is living proof.

But as digital media and independent media platforms were increasing, and that was you guys. I noticed, I said, the shit I was chasing, I didn't have to go get a billboard. I didn't have to go be on a billboard on the highway. I didn't have to go be in a radio station in one of the biggest markets or the biggest buildings in Times Square in the world.

All I needed to do was to sit wherever the fuck I was going to be at. Give quality information, quality entertainment, give you guys all of me, whether the good or the bad and hope that more people come and join our struggle. And I'm very happy to say, I think we've done that. Humbly, I do believe, as a platform,

but as also a media personality, because trust me, I look at this not only as a crowning for me as a personality, it's for me as a platform. If you remember the story of Jay Z, that's kind of what this was, especially for me. Remember Jay said labels wouldn't give him a deal, so he made his own label? I wanted to get on radio. I was like, shit, I don't know any of these niggas.

I always told you out of story. I'm hitting people up, and I'm getting curved left and right. I almost lost my job because I was calling out of work when they were canceling on me. And I said, rather than chase their platform, let me build mine. so I'm very happy that the platform of academics and now of course the company, the academy, and of course me, these academics, I'm glad we at least got some acknowledgement.

Won't make this much long after that. I'm just happy to, you know, thank you, Complex. And lastly, I was reflected about how hard and how incessantly and how tirelessly I kept going trying to be here. And yes, we could talk about defining moments. Dirk interview dope.

It was 6-9 interview. My relationship with certain people, young boy and others. You could say, well, you mentioned both under Kendrick Lamar and drink dizzes. But for anybody watching, you don't get those moments unless you did everything I said before. those moments are once you already won the race

you know there are still people on Twitter saying well why did Drake drop it out why do they keep giving them the record they're lost you have to win the race already rappers are loyal they're going to rock with who they feel is the most relevant the most who's going to do the most impact that's how it's always been so you got to do the work that'll come and of course I'm very thank

to both Drake and Kendraumaar. I'll tell you one thing Drake said. When push-ups first leaked, push-ups was posted in a Reddit that was dedicated to me. The conversation me and Drake had, I said, hey, is this real? Drake looked at it. It was in my Reddit. Drake said to me, hey, could you delete it off of there? It was the unmixed, unfinished version of push-ups.

Now, for whatever reason, he thought I control my Reddit. I have no idea what goes on on my Reddit. Like that's just the Wawa-W-W-W-S. So I said, I said, I don't really control it, but I could probably hit somebody to make a request for them to try to get it down. And he said, nah, it's okay. He said, act, do me a favor.

And this is a real conversation. He said, don't post about it. And I'm kind of looking at it like, well, you know what people are going to post about it. He's like, act. And this is why I said the race was already won. For the people who would be like, well, did I get this?

So, Drake says, Act, you're the biggest. When you post about it, everybody knows. You're the biggest. If the rest of the narrative and the rest of the story doesn't make sense after that, the race wasn't won with the Kendra Marr thing. The platform was used because the race was already won.

I'll go back to my ending. Anyway, again, after pursuing number one for so long and, you know, whatever, whatever. I'll say this, though. I've realized a new pressure. I'm actually happy for this. I'm very happy for this. I thought, number one, I enjoyed the plight to get to this point.

But in having two days before I even got on stream to reflect and to really gather my thoughts, I realized that, yeah, it's hard to get to. and be number one, but it's a whole lot harder to stay number one. That's our new play. Okay? So I've acknowledged that we've hit certain milestones in the last year,

but we ain't trying to be the person who felt from top one to not mention at all or from top one to top 10. it's kind of like the LeBron James shit. When you're supposed to be the guy, when you win the first ring, we don't care about them playoff appearances no more. We don't really care about the, we don't care about, oh yeah,

he went to the second round. So again, it's pretty hard getting to number one, man, but I think it's going to be a whole lot harder trying to keep it. Joe, my guy, always love between me and you. You got one, I got one. Let's keep it going, man. And as long as me and my guy's like, you know, one number two, I think hip hop is, you know, is in a good place.

Never forget what we started with everyday struggle. We represented the conversation that needed to happen in a conversation that was at a juncture. We had people who were more traditionalists, people that came from a different era, who were confronted with people who were more sales focus, new era, new styles, new generation. That's where hip hop met in a crossroads. and it grew beautifully from then. And for that, I am truly honored and I'm very happy. All right.