DJ Akademiks is again stirring up debate in hip-hop, this time by criticizing the first-week sales outlook for Lil Baby’s new album. According to the source report, Akademiks went online to call the project “garbage” and to describe its numbers as a “flop.”
What Akademiks Said
Akademiks leaned on his reputation for tracking chart data. “Men lie, women lie, numbers don’t,” he said, adding that Lil Baby “shouldn’t be selling no” 100K units. He then gave his own estimate, saying the album is aiming to land around 75K to 85K units in its first week, assuming the current daily pace holds.
He also claimed that word of mouth on the album is poor. “Trust me, I’m the numbers guy,” he said. He allowed that Lil Baby is “supposedly” stronger on Apple, but maintained that the rapper is “on pace to flop.”
Claims About Label Tactics
Akademiks also made a broader claim about how record labels handle release weeks. “I know how record labels do,” he said. In his telling, labels have seven days to work with, and that window is used to “fool y’all into thinking it’s something it’s not.” He did not offer specifics on how that would apply to this release in the portion of his remarks quoted by the source.
The report adds that Akademiks went as far as contacting the entities that track sales numbers. It does not say what, if anything, they told him.
Context
The figures Akademiks cited are his own projections and opinions, not official first-week totals. Final numbers are typically confirmed only after the tracking week closes, so the album’s actual debut may differ from his estimate. The source text does not include a response from Lil Baby or his team.
The report ends by asking readers whether they agree with Akademiks’ assessment, a sign that the commentary is meant to spark discussion among fans as the album’s first-week results come into focus.
Source: thesource.com
Image: thesource.com
