Category: Music

DJ Akademiks denied taking payola from Drake in exchange for favorable opinions on his media platforms.

During a recent livestream, the popular rap media personality said he had a conversation with pgLang co-founder Dave Free when he attended a Grand National Tour stop about the integrity of his coverage during the Drake and Kendrick Lamar battle.

“Dave Free had a moment — he asked me — he said, ‘Ak, what are you getting from this?’ He says, ‘Is he paying you,’” Akademiks said, allegedly that Free asked him about taking money from the Toronto rapper. “And that was the most insulting thing — and I’ve had conversations with these men for a while — but the very idea that I was like a purchasable commodity was so disgusting,” he revealed.

Ak then went on to say that he told Free that he was already popular before the beef reached a boiling point last spring. “I reminded him,” he began. “I said, ‘You know I’ve been doing this for over 10 years. I’ve been doing this for over 15 years. How did you think I became me?’ I said, ‘You knew about me before this sh—t… Did you think I was a cheap h— that just could be bought?’”

He added, “That was the most insulting thing I could have heard. Because his idea was, ‘Well if you’re not getting paid by this guy, if Drake ain’t paying you, why do you lean that much in that direction?’ The people who I’ve defended the most I’ve never gotten paid from.”

He did admit that his favorable coverage has benefited certain artists he likes, but reiterated that he doesn’t take money, saying, “Now, has my platform benefited them? Yeah, of course. But, again, we don’t do pay-for-play. You can’t buy my opinion. I’ve always said, ‘The moment you could buy my opinion, I don’t matter.’”

Ak continued by also admitting that he was biased during the back-and-forth because Drake is his favorite rapper and because Kendrick’s team cut off communication with him. “Throughout the battle, we probably definitely came off very biased,” he said. “Not only because I like Drake and he’s my favorite rapper… but you guys lost communications with us at that time because if you chose not to involve yourself in clarifying the narrative, the narrative gets written without you. It always happens like that. I’m in the media, I know how it goes.”

Billboard reached out to reps for pgLang for additional comment.

You can watch the full stream here.

As MCA continues to fine-tune its Nashville operation under new president/CEO Mike Harris, the company has laid off nearly 20 employees in a round of staff cuts across multiple departments.

Among those let go are several high level executives including Leigh Malleus (vp of media marketing), Karen Naff (vp of creative services) and Gary Keffer (vp of strategic marketing), as well as Michelle Hall (senior director of marketing), Troy Scott (senior director of e-commerce) and Leah Ducey (senior director of digital marketing).

Also impacted are Megan Youngblood (director of regional promotion), Kathryn Huffman (director of strategic marketing), Alyssa Logan (director of marketing & project management), Lindsey Terry (director of marketing & artist development) and Chance Maxwell (director of streaming marketing), Sarah Marie Burke (A&R manager), Chandler Stebbins (strategic marketing manager), Chris Jones (e-commerce & retail manager), Kaitlin Mays (digital marketing manager), Alex Mazza (marketing project coordinator) and Taylor Steele (media marketing coordinator).

Representatives for MCA and parent company Universal Music Group (UMG) either didn’t respond to a request for comment or declined to comment, but sources say the new MCA will operate as a smaller unit than the former iteration of the label previously known at UMG Nashville did under former chairman/CEO Cindy Mabe, who was let go in January.

During her two-year tenure, Mabe greatly expanded UMG Nashville, including launching a comedy imprint, Capitol Comedy Network, as well a distribution and independent artist services arm, Silver Wings Records, and a TV and film production company called Sing Me Back Home Productions. She also moved the company into live production by partnering with Cirque du Soleil to present Songblazers: A Journey into Country Music.

Harris, who was named president/CEO in February, will work alongside chief creative officer Dave Cobb and Rob Femia, who added COO to his duties as executive vp of business and legal affairs earlier this month, as well as executive vp/GM Katie McCartney.

Since Harris returned to UMG Nashville (which rebranded as MCA in April), UMG’s coastal labels have continued to add to their footprints in the country music capital. In April, Los Angeles-based Interscope Geffen A&M (IGA) Records announced the relaunch of the iconic Lost Highway imprint, which had previously been part of UMG Nashville until 2012, when it went dormant. Former Thirty Tigers executive Robert Knotts and Universal Music Group Nashville (UMGN) executive Jake Gear will serve as co-heads and executive vps of the resurrected label.  

In May, former Big Loud executive Candice Watkins was named president of Capitol Records Nashville and executive vp of Capitol Christian Music Group.

Watkins’ new role comes as Los Angeles-based Capitol Music Group, under the direction of CEO Tom March, brings Capitol Christian Music Group (CCMG) and its country division, Capitol Records Nashville, under the Capitol Music Group Nashville umbrella. 

MCA’s imprints include EMI Records Nashville, Lucille Records, Mercury Nashville and MCA Nashville, representing artists including Eric Church, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Dierks Bentley, Alan Jackson and Little Big Town.

Sierra Ferrell, who won artist of the year at last year’s Americana Honors & Awards, is nominated in that category again this year, along with Billy Strings, who won in 2022-23; Charley Crockett, Joy Oladokun and Waxahatchee.

Ferrell is vying to become the second woman to win artist of the year twice and the first to do so in back-to-back years. Brandi Carlile won in 2019 and 2021. For his part, Strings would become just the second artist to win three or more times. The late John Prine won four times.

MJ Lenderman, Charley Crockett, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats and Gillian Welch & David Rawlings were each nominated in multiple categories. Lenderman is up for album of the year for Manning Fireworks, song of the year for “Wristwatch” and emerging act of the year. Crockett is up for album of the year for Lonesome Drifter and artist of the year. Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats are up for album of the year for South of Here and song of the year for “Heartless.” Welch & Rawlings are nominated for album of the year for Woodland and duo/group of the year.

Larkin Poe, which won duo/group of the year last year, is nominated again in that category, as is the 2015 winner, The Mavericks. Jason Isbell, a three-time winner for album of the year, is nominated again this year for Foxes in the Snow.

The 24th annual Americana Honors & Awards will be held on Sept. 10 at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.

Here’s the full list of nominees:

Artist of the Year

Charley Crockett

Sierra Ferrell

Joy Oladokun

Billy Strings

Waxahatchee

Album of the Year

Lonesome Drifter, Charley Crockett; Produced by Charley Crockett & Shooter Jennings

Foxes in the Snow, Jason Isbell; Produced by Jason Isbell & Gena Johnson

Manning Fireworks, MJ Lenderman; Produced by Alex Farrar & MJ Lenderman

South of Here, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats; Produced by Brad Cook

Woodland, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings; Produced by David Rawlings

Song of the Year

“Johnny Moonshine,” Maggie Antone; Written by Maggie Antone, Natalie Hemby & Aaron Raitiere

“Ancient Light,” I’m With Her; Written by Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’Donovan & Sara Watkins

“Wristwatch,” MJ Lenderman; Written by MJ Lenderman

“Sunshine Getaway,” JD McPherson; Written by Page Burkum, JD McPherson & Jack Torrey

“Heartless,” Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats; Written by Nathaniel Rateliff

Duo/Group of the Year

Julien Baker & TORRES

Dawes

Larkin Poe

The Mavericks

Gillian Welch & David Rawlings

Emerging Act of the Year

Noeline Hofmann

MJ Lenderman

Medium Build

Maggie Rose

Jesse Welles

Instrumentalist of the Year

Fred Eltringham

Alex Hargreaves

Megan Jane

Kaitlyn Raitz

Seth Taylor