Akademiks’ Hypocrisy On 50 Cent/Irv Gotti & How To Become A Manager

One thing that did not surprise me with the unfortunate passing of Irv Gotti—an absolute legend in New York and the tri-state music industry—is how 50 Cent reacted. Despite Gotti beating a federal case, there’s a long history of beef between him and 50, and even after his passing, 50 made some comments that ruffled feathers.

Akademiks discussed this with Wack100, questioning why 50 would still hold onto the grudge. He said he understood it in cases like King Von, but couldn’t grasp why 50 wouldn’t just let it go.

What I found odd is that Akademiks himself has celebrated someone’s death over something far less serious. He had no real beef with the people from KollegeKidd—two brothers who ran a long-time blog and didn’t like him. When one of them tragically passed away from COVID, Akademiks publicly mocked him, saying it was one of the happiest days of his life and that the man was “hating on his last breath.”

This wasn’t a situation where violence was involved or real threats were made. KollegeKidd did push a false narrative about Akademiks, particularly the fake Bhad Bhabie tweet that some tried to use to damage his reputation and sponsorships, but at the end of the day, that was just an online dispute over money and credibility.

So if Akademiks thinks 50 Cent should forgive people who actually tried to kill him, yet he celebrated the death of a blogger who never posed any real danger to him, that’s hypocrisy. You can’t clown someone’s death over “blog beef” and then turn around and tell 50 to bury the hatchet with people who were allegedly involved in attempts on his life.

Interview Recap: A Deep Dive Into Music Business & Touring

Yesterday, I finished an interview with a Chinese woman who has been living in the UK for over 10 years. She’s heavily involved in the underground music scene, managing artists and booking tours. What stood out to me is how she believes artists like OsamaSon and Nettspend are bigger in the U.S. than they really are. I think it’s because the underground sound they’re part of has gained more traction in the UK, making it seem larger than it is stateside.

Her journey into the music business is also intriguing—she never set out to be a manager or tour organizer. She was just in the mix, going to underground shows, building connections, and being friends with artists. Eventually, venues started reaching out, asking if she could help book certain artists because they saw she had relationships with them. She said sure, and from there, it naturally turned into a business. She didn’t even want to become a manager (separate from tour managing) because she knew that she would have to put the priorities of another person at the forefront, despite having multiple opportunities to manage people prior to her current artist.

A lot of people ask, How do I become a manager? How do I meet a manager? The reality is, most people in the industry don’t start with a formal job title. They start by being in the scene, making genuine connections, and creating value.

I don’t want to give away too much, but the interview covered a lot—both in terms of her insights into Chinese culture (since she grew up there) and how the music business operates in the UK. Her perspective is relevant not just for people in the UK but also for those in the U.S., Australia, and other Western markets, since she primarily works in the UK industry.

More on this soon.

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