Akademiks Crowned His Kings — Travis Scott Runs the Youth, Drake Is Still King of Rap. Is Ak Right?
Akademiks got on stream and did what he does best: started an argument the whole culture now has to finish. This time he laid out his official hierarchy of the game — crown by crown — and he did not leave much room at the top.
Story: Akademiks on his livestream; clip via CY Chels (@SeewhyChels) on X, reported by The Source. This is a debate post — the crowns below are Ak’s opinion, stated on his stream.
Here is the hierarchy, in Ak’s words: Travis Scott is the “KING OF THE YOUTH.” Playboi Carti is the “PRINCE OF THE YOUTH.” Drake is the “KING OF RAP.” The Weeknd is the “KING OF POP.” And he did not stop at four crowns — Ak slotted Yeat and Ken Carson underneath Carti in that order, the next generation waiting behind the prince. The clip, posted to X on November 2, landed while Travis was literally outside with Drake in Houston that same weekend.
Some of it is hard to argue with. Travis owns the youth demo in a way the festival stages and the numbers back up. The Weeknd’s pop run speaks for itself — the man fills stadiums on two continents singing records that live on pop radio. And giving Carti the prince title, with Yeat and Ken Carson in line behind him, is Ak reading exactly where the youngest fans’ energy is going.
But a list like this starts fights because of who is NOT on it. No Kendrick. No J. Cole. No Future. No NBA YoungBoy — in a year where YoungBoy just ran a completely sold-out arena tour across America. If Drake is still the King of Rap after the year he just had, what does the crown actually measure: sales? Influence? Longevity? Or who the kids are really listening to when nobody is watching?
So let’s settle it: did Akademiks get the hierarchy right — and if one crown has to move, whose head does it come off? Let us know in the comments.
