Drake’s artistry has long attracted criticism and it still does, even though he clearly has real classics in his catalog. Albums like Take Care, Nothing Was The Same, and If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late are usually the first to be mentioned. Still, the reason his place in hip hop sparks debate is that much of his extensive discography continues to receive heavy praise, even when some listeners feel the quality does not always match the hype.
Because of that, online discussions about how many of his projects truly stand the test of time have only grown louder. One person who never hesitates to defend Drake, though, is DJ Akademiks. The hip hop commentator has supported him for years and has built a close and seemingly trusted relationship with the rapper.
That said, many of his opinions tend to divide listeners, with some viewing them as extreme. So it is not entirely surprising to hear him label a more recent or solid but not universally praised Drake album as a classic. Over the weekend, he argued that the Toronto star’s 2023 release For All The Dogs belongs in that elite category.
In a clip shared by the secondary account Akademiks TV, he also described it as one of the greatest breakup albums ever made.
What Has DJ Akademiks Said About ICEMAN?
Speaking like a devoted supporter, Akademiks goes as far as placing Drake in G.O.A.T. territory while lip syncing to “Virginia Beach.” “This why Drake the greatest. It’s like the n**** know me gang!” he says, adding that since 2009 the artist has always released at least one song that felt personal to him.
At the end of the day, there are few things more impactful than music that feels deeply relatable. Still, considering how Akademiks is perceived, many people continue to mock him for holding this opinion.
While elevating For All The Dogs to such a high level, he also suggested that Drake’s next release will push his legacy even further. He claimed that when Drizzy drops again, “he’ll be the G.O.A.T. even more!” He also recently tweeted that the upcoming album ICEMAN is arriving very soon, writing, “ICEMAN SO SOON! MY GOAT ALWAYS DELIVERS!”
He has shared several posts like this on Twitter over the past few weeks, steadily building anticipation. Although there is still no official release date from Drake, it sounds like the project could arrive sometime during the colder months.
NEWS
Placebo have kicked off their 30th anniversary tour by dusting off some tracks for the first time in over 20 years, and also playing new single ‘Helen Keller’ live for the first time.
The new dates come as the band are celebrating the 30 years since they dropped their 1996 debut album. To mark the occasion, they have announced a huge UK and European arena tour, where they have vowed to predominantly play material from their first album and their sophomore record ‘Without You I’m Nothing’.
At the opening night at Krakatoa in Mérignac, France, Brian Molko and co. delivered a stacked 19-song set, which began with ‘Pure Morning’, and immediately went into the first rendition of ‘Come Home’ in 20 years.
Another rarity came straight after, with the first live performance of ‘You Don’t Care About Us’ since 2001, as well as ‘Without You I’m Nothing’ and ‘Allergic (To Thoughts Of Mother Earth)’ which were played for the first time since 2018 and 2014 respectively.
‘Drowning by Numbers’, ‘Bruise Pristine’ and ‘My Sweet Prince’ were all introduced into the setlist for the first time since 2001, ‘Brick Shithouse’ was aired out for the first time since 2003, ‘Scared Of Girls’ was played for the first time since 2010, and both ‘Lady Of The Flowers’ and ‘36 Degrees’ were broken out for the first time in nine years.
The rest of the set was made up of ‘Teenage Angst’, ‘Bionic’, ‘I Know’ and ‘Every You Every Me’, and the band wrapped up the performance with two covers: Depeche Mode’s ‘I Feel You’, and Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)’.
It wasn’t until a later show at the Super Bock Arena in Porto, Portugal, that Placebo broke out their new song ‘Helen Keller’ for the first time – playing it 13 songs into the setlist.
Check out more footage from the tour so far below, as well as the setlist from night one.
‘Pure Morning’
‘Come Home’ (First time since 2006)
‘You Don’t Care About Us'(First Time Since 2001)
‘Teenage Angst’
‘Bionic’
‘Without You I’m Nothing” (First Time Since 2018)
‘Allergic (to Thoughts of Mother Earth)” (First Time Since 2014)
‘Drowning by Numbers” (First Time Since 2001)
’36 Degrees” (Alternate Version – First Time Since 2017)
‘I Know’
‘Brick Shithouse’ (First Time Since 2003)
‘Scared of Girls’ (First Time Since 2010)
‘Bruise Pristine” (First Time Since 2001)
‘My Sweet Prince’ (First Time Since 2001)
‘Lady of the Flowers’ (First time since 2017)
‘Nancy Boy’
‘Every You Every Me’
‘I Feel You’ (Depeche Mode cover, live debut)
‘Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)’ (Kate Bush cover)
Placebo dropped the single ‘Helen Keller’ on September 28, and it sees them reach back to ‘H.K. Farewell’, a hidden instrumental from the era of their self-titled 1996 debut. In the track, they retain the eerie keyboard melody from the original, and push it to new dimensions with a heavier, more anguished feeling.
The title refers to the American author, who was also a disability rights advocate and political activist, who became deafblind as a young child and went on to become an internationally renowned writer and campaigner.
As well as the tour, Placebo also celebrated the 30th anniversary of their debut by releasing a reimagined version of the record. For the LP, Molko and Stefan Olsdal returned to the original master tapes and reworked all 10 songs from the 1996 record – describing it as a “director’s cut” that helped them inject the original songs with three decades more experience.
The ongoing tour will reach the UK and Ireland in late November and early December, where they will play Nottingham, Glasgow, Dublin, Manchester, London and Cardiff. See all the dates here and find any remaining tickets here.
Dates will head to Latin America in 2027, beginning in São Paulo on February 20 and running through Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Colombia before wrapping up with shows in Guadalajara and Monterrey in March.
Placebo dropped their last album of new material in 2022, with ‘Never Let Me Go’. That record was given a four-star review by NME, which described it as “a renaissance rock record with an experimental edge”, adding that it found Placebo “inspired and ready for a new era”.
