DJ Akademiks has named Drake's "ICEMAN" Album of the year and, in the process, Disrespected J. Cole.

DJ Akademiks isn't backing down from Drake's "ICEMAN" and wants everyone to know he still feels the same way about the music, despite the criticism surrounding his connection with the rapper. On Saturday, October 3, he joined a ComplexCon panel with Adam22, French Montana, and Jordan Rose in Los Angeles to discuss the 2026 Album of the Year debate. The chat gave Akademiks a chance to promote "ICEMAN" and take a couple of shots at J. Cole and The Fall-Off. Akademiks has leaned into the attention around his relationship with Drake.

Akademiks linked with Drake back in the day to help him with his "ICEMAN" stream and got an OVO chain. The relationship has drawn jokes and backlash from some fans, but Akademiks doesn't seem to mind the reaction. At ComplexCon, he said he's ready to take the heat while still supporting Drake and the music he believes in. Complex also caught a clip of Akademiks' OVO chain, which he said wasn't on him at the event. He joked that someone in Los Angeles tried to steal it from him, a reference to the very public Kendrick Lamar battle.

Akademiks' comment added another layer to the panel discussion, using humor to address the ongoing attention on his OVO connection. Akademiks also defended "ICEMAN" and said he wanted to see Drake and French Montana work together again. His comments sparked a conversation about Drake's latest project in the wider 2026 musical scene, as the panel brought together a few familiar faces to argue over the year's biggest album hopefuls.

One of the most obvious takeaways from Akademiks' ComplexCon talk was his support for "ICEMAN." The debate over Drake's project and Akademiks' close ties to the rapper remains divided, but he wasn't looking to soften his stance. He used the platform to pitch "ICEMAN," challenge the discussion around The Fall-Off, and show interest in a future Drake and French Montana collaboration. The Album of the Year debate is raging on, but Akademiks has made his pick clear, as he's putting Drake's ICEMAN firmly in the conversation and is ready to defend that stance, despite the criticism that comes with it.