The back-and-forth between DJ Akademiks and Ebro resurfaced this week after a social media exchange tied to ongoing debates about Drake and media influence.
Reacting to Akademiks questioning claims that Drake benefits from coordinated public relations efforts, Ebro responded with a dismissive jab: “[Laughing emojis]…. Evidence?!?!? This guy is asking for evidence?” The remark referenced Akademiks’ pushback against theories previously floated by figures like Charlamagne Tha God and Pusha T.
Akademiks quickly escalated the exchange, redirecting the conversation toward Ebro’s departure from Hot 97. In his response, he wrote: “Respectfully Ebro… u never got smeared by nobody. U got fired cuz u suck at ur job of entertaining and laughed at because you acted like u were bigger than the program then had to fire up a broadcast in ur car.”
He continued with a more pointed claim about the show’s performance, adding: “Na n** u got fired cuz yall ran a ghetto morning show that got 723 views per episode. Yes ur employer doesn’t want dead weight on the payroll. Ya FIRED.”**
Beyond the immediate exchange, Akademiks also framed the issue as part of a larger media trend, writing: “The simple truth is media guys now tryna blame Drake for their demise without acknowledging most ppl saw their peak as hating on Drake during the battle.” He added that after that moment passed, “yall became irrelevant and a 1 trick pony.”
The dispute extends into broader disagreements about hip-hop commentary. Referencing Ebro’s past criticism of Lil Uzi Vert, Akademiks argued that legacy media voices have struggled to adapt, stating: “You can be like Ebro and think you’re bigger than the program. Or realize when you’re wrong… They still have that gatekeeping mentality.”
