The social media personality also states in a new interview that the authorities should be able to use bars against hip-hop artists only if the evidence supports their theories.
- Aug 27, 2022
AceShowbiz - DJ Akademiks has reacted to Young Thug's RICO arrest. In a new interview, the social media personality said that he believes hip-hop is now going through a "cleansing" amid piled up RICO cases.
In a sit-down with DJ Vlad for Vlad TV, the Internet star stated that authorities should be able to use bars against hip-hop artists if the evidence supports their theories. "Why would [Young Thug] get on Instagram and tag him and say I would've been killed you if I didn't like you for your kids and your mom," he said. "I'm 100 percent also in the same school of thought as I hope they don't weaponize lyrics. But then the YSL situation is not one of those things I can say they're weaponizing lyrics. They're supported by a lot of things we don't know."
Akademiks then said that hip-hop is going through a "cleansing" as district attorneys across the country are following suit and throwing RICO cases at artists who they believe have gang affiliations. "I think rap is going through a cleansing right now," he explained. "As I said, all these D.A.'s are following each other."
"The Philly D.A., they said, 'We know so and so is beefing with so and so, like two gangs. If you are in these gangs, you better stop and if you around these gangs, you better get the hell away from them. Indictments are coming,' " Akademiks elaborated more. "And they named 10 of them. The police are kind of keen to what's going on and they're also linking it a lot with music. We're in the biggest gangsta era ever now."
Akademiks went on to predict that a new wave of music will come out of this to dominate rap's mainstream while the street rhymers are put behind bars. "You know, I think this era is going to come with new music too because, you know, after [the authorities] lock up all these real street rappers, it's going to go back to color your s**t."
During a live stream earlier this month, Akademiks rebranded YSL to YS-Tell after a leaked document alleged one of the affiliates snitched on the crew and fed the authorities info. "YSL new name? YS-Tell," he ranted. "Everybody tellin', OK?! Everybody tellin'. All that slime and slat s**t, they basically going to prosecutors and singing agreements, n***a."
Thug is among 28 men charged in a 56-count Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) indictment, which also involves fellow rapper Gunna. The Grammy Award-winning artist has been booked into Fulton County Jail on charges of Conspiracy to Violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) and Participation in Criminal Street Gang Activity.
Thug and Gunna have been held behind bars since May. More recently, during a virtual hearing, the two rappers, who appeared to be finally seeing each other for the first time since their arrests, were prohibited from talking to each other.