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The New York Knicks hosted their first NBA Finals game in almost 30 years. So you know Madison Square Garden’s “celebrity row” was super star-studded on Monday Night (June 8). Among the stars in attendance was hometown rapper, Jay-Z.
Akademiks Calls Out Jay-Z For Chasing ‘Clout’
Hov was pictured in attendance rocking his new look. An afro that he debuted at the Roots Picnic festival back in May. Jay-Z has long been a fan of the Knicks. However, media personality DJ Akademiks still feels like there is a deeper meaning behind Hov’s appearance at Madison Square Garden.
In a post to his social media account on Monday, Akademiks suggested that Jay-Z’s attendance was a calculated move to get “clout” off of Drake.
“Bro dissed Drake and got ignored now he tryna soak up clout from the Knicks game,” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Bro dissed Drake and got
— DJ Akademiks (@Akademiks) June 9, 2026
Ignored now he tryna soak
Up clout from the Knicks game. pic.twitter.com/6FHfZMrhh1
However, fans in the comments section of Ak’s social media post hit back against his claim.
“Yeah, somebody that’s born and raised in New York and rich showing up court side to a Knicks finals game is definitely soaking up clout,” one user said.
“From beef bars to bench seats, the Knicks game wasn’t in the plan, but the clout was,” a second user chimed in.
Jay-Z has appeared to compete for years. But the beginning stages of an actual beef appeared to begin when Drake dropped his new album, Iceman, back in May. On his new hit, Janice STFU Drake, ” he appeared to call out Hov. On the song, he raps, “We know how you OGs are rocking, The Jig is up.”
Jay-Z appeared to respond to Drake in a new freestyle he performed at the Roots Picnic. He raps: “The jig is up, N***a I’m up 10. Wrong chart, champ, you gotta look up again. N****s look up to HOV.. I never looked up to them.
Akademiks, a close associate of Drake’s, appears to be trying to add fuel to the fire.
