DJ Akademiks explains Drake’s impact with “Iceman” on skeptics

DJ Akademiks believes that the longer Drake holds off on releasing his next studio album, Iceman, the more his critics slowly turn into supporters. He explained this idea during a recent livestream, as the Toronto artist still has not confirmed when the project will arrive.

“Keep them waiting. That’s what I’d tell him,” Akademiks said in one moment from the stream. “I feel like every day Drake doesn’t drop, another fcking hater figures out he was really a fan the whole time. Every day Drake holds back, another btch ass n**a who started hating this past year realizes he’s a fcking fan. You know why? Because there’s nothing new to talk about, nothing new to play, and all they do is keep discussing what they think Drake will or won’t do. F*cking fan, just admit you’re a fan.”

Drake's "Iceman" Album

Drake has been building anticipation around Iceman for close to a year now. He first introduced the project with the single “What Did I Miss?” back in July 2025. After that, he followed up with “Which One” featuring Central Cee, along with “Dog House” featuring Yeat and Julia Wolf.

This past weekend, fans noticed something interesting at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, where Drake’s courtside seats were decorated with icicles during the Raptors’ game against the Brooklyn Nets. He did not address it publicly, but the visual seemed like a clear hint that Iceman could be on the way soon.

Earlier than that, Drake also suggested that Iceman is “coming soon” during the Juno Awards. He sent in a recorded message for Nelly Furtado that played during the ceremony. “To the Junos, because you are honouring one of my dearest friends tonight, I will spare you, even though I know you're still thinking about those six awards that you gave to Shad in 2011 when you snubbed ‘Take Care’ as I hosted the 40th anniversary of your award show,” he joked. “But listen, that’s neither here nor there. Tonight we’ll let it go. This is about Nelly. And one thing Nelly knows, you know my love is real. You know my love is true. I love you. Have a great night. Enjoy your hall of fame status. It’s long overdue. Kill the performance. We love you dog. Iceman coming soon.”