“They’re roc nation minions now” - Azealia Banks reacts to DJ Akademiks claiming TDE artists are beefing with him more than Drake

Azealia Banks just can’t hold back. In the latest hip‑hop heatwave, DJ Akademiks – ever the media firestarter – stirred the pot by claiming “TDE are beefing with @AkademiksTV more than Drake is,” igniting a social media dust‑up between the label’s artists and the streamer.

And where there’s drama, Azealia is never far behind. True to form, she jumped in on X (formerly Twitter), dismissing the impact of heavyweights and slinging a fiery barb:

“They’re roc nation minions now.”

It’s not. They’re roc nation minions now. Jay will fight you and Nicki thru them to maintain innocence https://t.co/kWzi4DZ453

— Azealia Banks (@azealiaslacewig) July 17, 2025

In one crisp line, she implied that TDE has fallen under a new influence, and that Punch or Kendrick aren’t quite steering the ship like they used to.

Just another day in the digital colosseum of social media, pop culture, and streaming personalities. In a scene rife with power plays, this exchange begs the question: is the tension real, or just another episode in the theater of hip‑hop?

Azealia Banks answers the headline: TDE artists really are siding with DJ Akademiks over Drake

DJ Akademiks recently dropped a bombshell claim: he says TDE’s roster — including high‑profile artists — is beefing with him more actively than with Drake. The gist? Akademiks believes the label’s president Punch, and other TDE affiliates have taken aim at him, perhaps even more vigorously than Drake’s team has. That’s saying something, given the massive visibility and influence of Drake in the rap world.

Enter Azealia Banks: ever the provocateur, she weighed in swiftly. Her single‑tweet response was aimed both at TDE and Akademiks, suggesting the label’s artists may have slipped under a different umbrella, and that their loyalty is questionable. In typical Azealia style, her one‑liner cuts deeper than a multi‑paragraph essay: she’s insinuating that TDE has become musically subordinate to the massive Roc Nation brand, out of step with its own roots.

The DJ Akademiks view holds that TDE figures are focusing more energy on reacting to his content, and perhaps battling him in the media realm, than to Drake himself. What triggered that reaction? It follows a broader clash where Akademiks echoed Drake’s defense of SZA in her own verbal crossfires, reportedly after Drake personally asked him to back off. From Akademiks’ perspective, Drake stepped in to defuse his critiques of SZA, and now TDE is countering by upping their responses to his commentary.

Azealia’s addition here sparks the question: did TDE’s loyalty really shift, or is she just tearing up the narrative for clicks? Her comment turns a simmer into a boil, pushing fans to wonder: Is this a power move, a brand clash, or just typical headline bait?

In true journalist fashion, DJ Akademiks claims TDE is more threatened by him than Drake is, and Azealia Banks is gleefully amplifying that claim, hinting at bigger label politics behind the scenes.

At this point, the whole affair feels more like pageantry than genuine beef—media personalities battling over influence while artists and labels reposition backstage. But with Azealia Banks throwing shade and DJ Akademiks calling out TDE by name, one thing’s clear: in the era of viral soundbites, even a single tweet can spark the next wave of hip‑hop drama. We’ll keep watching because in this game, perception often trumps reality, and the easiest fight to break the internet is the one fought online.