DJ Akademiks Sets the Record Straight

Drake has dismissed claims of a leaked direct message (DM) in which he allegedly insinuated that NBA superstar LeBron James was unfaithful to his wife. The rumor gained traction on Tuesday when Chris Blake Griffith shared a supposed DM from Drake, sparking widespread speculation. However, the rapper has now clarified that the alleged message is entirely fabricated.

DJ Akademiks, known for his close ties to Drake, took to Twitter to debunk the claim. Quoting Griffith’s tweet, Akademiks labeled the DM as fake, writing, “This is a fake DM. Drake called buddy a rat… he got mad and made up some fake DM to try to make the blogs and go viral. End of story.” He further emphasized the credibility of his source, adding, “Source: the boy,” a reference to Drake himself.

The clarification aligns with the fact that Drake has never publicly criticized LeBron James or his family. The allegations of a diss, especially one involving such personal matters, seemed out of character for the Toronto rapper.

The Alleged DM and Akademiks’ Defense

Source – THE BOY.

— DJ Akademiks (@Akademiks) January 7, 2025

Griffith’s post claimed that Drake had compared his situation with Universal Music Group (UMG) to rumors about LeBron James’ marriage. The purported DM read: “Me and Universal is like if Nike was funding a campaign about LeBron cheating on his wife…” This message quickly went viral, fueling gossip about tension between the rapper and the NBA legend.

While Akademiks has faced criticism in the past for his strong bias in favor of Drake, he also has a well-documented relationship with the artist. This lends credibility to his ability to debunk such rumors. Akademiks’ swift dismissal of the DM as fake suggests he has firsthand knowledge of the situation.

Lingering Tensions Between Drake and LeBron James

Despite the DM being proven false, tensions between Drake and LeBron James remain evident. Their friendship reportedly soured during the fallout from Drake’s rivalry with Kendrick Lamar. Following their public clash, James appeared to distance himself from Drake and shifted his support toward Lamar. In response, Drake unfollowed the NBA star on Instagram, and fans have speculated that he took subtle jabs at James in his recent “Fighting Irish” freestyle.

In the track, Drake raps, “Talkin’ ’bout we family, well, I’m not the cousin to visit / God forbid we ever got to tarnish your public image.” Fans noted that James played for the Fighting Irish football team in high school, interpreting the line as a veiled reference to their strained relationship.

For now, Drake has yet to address the state of his friendship with LeBron James directly. What’s clear, however, is that the alleged DM was not a reflection of his true feelings.