DJ Akademiks Reveals What Got Him To Number One On Complex’s Hip-Hop Media Power Ranking

DJ Akademiks has always had his ears to the ground when it comes to hip-hop coverage. Its why Complex placed him at the top of their “Hip-Hop Media Power Ranking” earlier last month. Prior to this, he slotted in at the number two spot on the first-ever list last year. Obviously, he pushed even harder over the last 12 months, and he was rewarded handsomely for his tireless efforts, including covering the Drake and Kendrick Lamar beef right on the spot. This is quite the feat, as there are tons of stiff competition out there such Charlamagne tha God, Joe Budden, Anthony Fantano, and more. All of these pundits have a lot of great qualities that have led them to be extremely successful.

However, at least this time around, it’s clear that DJ Akademiks a little something extra in the toolbelt for him to achieve this career milestone. According to his interview with Vlad TV, he says “passion” is the true key to long-lasting success. The Jamaican-born multi-media journalist recalls listening to the radio constantly in high school, driving to Rutgers University and seeing massive Breakfast Club billboards and wanting to be like “megastars” like them. Ultimately, he just put his head down and was going to get to that level one way or another.

“Hard work beats talent when talent don’t work hard”, is how Ak would describe that mindset. Furthermore, he explains to Vlad that he wants to see continued success for himself beyond this point. He has no plans of settling and drifting away from stardom. That relentlessness is another reason why he’s respected but also hated by so many. It’s also going to come in handy when you have people like Kai Cenat coming up the rear. He acknowledges how much work he’s putting in as well, streaming early in the morning and still getting thousands upon thousands of people tuning in. Akademiks has his work cut out for him for sure, but he seems ready for the challenge as always.

What are your thoughts on DJ Akademiks’ key to securing the number one spot on the Complex “Hip-Hop Media Power Ranking”? Do you think he was deserving of this rank, why or why not? What do you think about him showing love to Kai Cenat? We would like to hear what you have to say, so leave your thoughts in the comments. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding DJ Akademiks. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the music world.