Joe Budden isn’t letting DJ Akademiks’ criticism of Angie Martinez’s upcoming Tupac interview series slide. The former rapper and podcast personality has responded to his former Everyday Struggle co-host, accusing him of deliberately missing the bigger picture surrounding the highly anticipated Netflix project.
The disagreement started after Akademiks reacted to the trailer for The Tupac Tapes with Angie Martinez. The four-part series features an unreleased 1996 conversation between Martinez and Tupac Shakur, recorded just three months before the legendary rapper’s death. At the time, Martinez reportedly decided against releasing the interview because Tupac discussed several ongoing feuds, raising concerns that airing his comments could put people in danger.
Now, nearly 30 years later, the conversation is finally being shared with the world. However, Akademiks believes hip-hop media is applying a double standard. He argued that personalities like himself, DJ Vlad, and Adam22 are frequently accused of encouraging violence through their coverage, while Martinez is receiving praise for releasing similarly sensitive material.
Akademiks even revealed that he has an unreleased interview with NBA YoungBoy that he refuses to publish for similar reasons. According to him, the rapper suggested that the interview should come out after his death, something Akademiks said he doesn’t want to think about.
Budden wasn’t convinced by the argument. Responding to Akademiks, he accused him of being “willfully obtuse,” suggesting that he’s intentionally ignoring the difference between releasing potentially dangerous material while conflicts are active and sharing historical footage decades later.
The timing is particularly interesting because Budden himself is involved in the Netflix project as one of the personalities helping unpack Tupac’s interview.
With The Tupac Tapes with Angie Martinez scheduled to premiere November 27, the debate has already created another major conversation about responsibility, journalism, and influence in hip-hop media.
One thing is clear: the discussion surrounding Tupac’s legacy is reaching another generation, and the media personalities covering it are now part of the story.
