DJ Akademiks is sounding the alarm about the financial realities of hip-hop. During a September 24 livestream, the media personality used the launch of Let’s Rap About It—a forthcoming podcast from Jim Jones, Fabolous, Maino, and Dave East—as proof that rappers are looking beyond music for survival.

“Rap game is completely cooked,” Akademiks told viewers. “Ain’t no money in music.”

The outspoken commentator clarified that he wasn’t taking shots at the four New York veterans, but he saw their pivot to podcasting as an unmistakable signal of where the industry stands. “If you told me they were together, I’d be like, oh my God, they’re making some four-way greatest New York rapper thing,” he said. “But bruh, there’s no more money in music. Unless you’re like YB, unless you’re like the Drakes, there’s no money for the middle-order guys. It’s complete famine.”

Akademiks cited earlier warnings from Jay-Z and Drake about only “1%” of rappers truly profiting from their craft, then pushed the claim even further. “It’s not 1% anymore—it’s 0.1%,” he argued, describing music as little more than a “cool factor” for most artists. Instead, he said, rappers are monetizing their platforms through podcasts, live appearances, and side hustles.

DJ Akademiks On Jim Jones, Fabolous, Maino, & Dave East Becoming Podcasters

Record labels, in Akademiks’ view, have only deepened the problem. He pointed to TikTok’s dominance as proof that companies can manufacture hits without investing millions into artist development.

“They’re looking at artists like, so you ain’t poppin’? Why invest?” he explained.

Only stars on the level of Cardi B, he added, still command major label backing even when they go years without releasing a project. The consequences, according to Akademiks, are stark.

Rappers spend months recording and promoting projects only to see dismal sales and paltry streaming checks. “Rap is done,” he declared. “Most y’all make y’all money on tour… these days rappers are in a weird place.” He even suggested that some artists have returned to street hustles to maintain their lifestyles.

For Akademiks, the new podcast era is less about creative exploration than survival. As he sees it, media ventures like Let’s Rap About It aren’t side projects—they’re lifelines in an industry where only a select few still profit.