Ak
"What's good, people? It's your boy DJ Akademiks, and man, do we have some crazy news to talk about today. If you haven't heard, shit just hit the fan down in Atlanta. Three bodies dropped, and it ain't lookin' good for the streets."
The chat exploded with comments and questions. Akademiks took a sip of his drink and continued.
"So, let's break it down. First off, we got Courtney Ealy, better known as Cdai, who got shot and killed. This dude was a close friend of Lil Reese, a major player in the Chicago drill scene. Cdai, along with two others, Tato and JX, were gunned down outside a convenience store in what looks like a straight-up ambush."
Akademiks pulled up a map of the area where the shooting took place, highlighting the location with a red circle.
"This went down late at night, and from what I'm hearing, they used some serious firepower. AR-15s, people. This wasn't no random drive-by; this was planned and executed with precision. The streets are saying it was a retaliation hit."
He clicked to a video clip of the crime scene, showing police cars, yellow tape, and forensic teams combing the area for evidence.
"Now, here's where it gets even more interesting. Earlier that same day, Arell's boy, Kenny, got shot and was taken to the hospital. And guess who was spotted at the same place Kenny got shot earlier on in the day? That's right, Cdai."
Akademiks switched to a grainy surveillance video showing Cdai at the scene of Kenny's shooting.
"Check this out. This footage clearly shows Cdai scoping out the area where Kenny was hit. This ain't no coincidence, folks. This is a classic case of 'you hit one of ours, we hit one of yours.'"
He then pulled up a series of old photos, showing Arell, Cdai, and other familiar faces posing together, arms slung over each other's shoulders, laughing and looking carefree.
"Here's where it gets real deep. We all know Arell and Reese were cool, but Arell and Cdai used to be tight as well. Same block, same crew. They rolled together, did dirt together, and now it looks like the past is catching up to them. Arell and his homeboys were once part of this larger friend group, but now they're on opposite sides of the gun. It's wild to think about how things have changed."
The chat was going crazy, with messages flying by faster than Akademiks could read. He glanced at the screen, shaking his head.
"And it doesn't end there. Word on the street is that Lil Reese has hightailed it back to Chicago. Can't say I blame him, with the cops breathing down his neck and this heat coming down on him. This is gonna hit hard for Reese, losing one of his closest friends like Cdai."
As DJ Akademiks prepared to delve into how this incident might affect Arell, a notification popped up on his screen. He glanced at it, his eyes widening in surprise.
"Yo, hold up. The Game is going live right now. This should be interesting. Let's see what he's got to say."
Akademiks quickly switched the stream to The Game's live video. The rapper was lounging in bed, a glass of red wine in hand. He looked relaxed, but his expression was serious.
"What's good, everybody?" The Game began, his voice steady but carrying an undertone of tension. "I just seen what went down in Atlanta. It's crazy out here, man. First off, I wanna say, rest in peace to those who lost their lives. This street shit, it ain't worth it, you feel me?"
He took a sip of his wine, his eyes narrowing slightly as he continued.
"Now, I wanna talk about Arell. I've been hearing a lot about this young cat, and I gotta say, I got respect for him. He's young, he's hungry, and he's making moves. I ain't here to beef with nobody, especially not someone who's tryna come up in this game. We need to leave all this street shit outta the music, man. It's just holding us back."
The Game paused, swirling his wine thoughtfully. His demeanor seemed to shift, as if he was trying to convey something deeper.
"Arell, if you see this, I hope you're good, man. We need to have a real conversation, just us, no drama. This shit with India, it ain't worth all the noise. We can talk like grown men and figure it out. I ain't tryna bring no more heat your way."
He took another sip, his eyes flickering with wariness.
"Look, I ain't saying I'm backing down or anything. But we gotta be smart about how we move. The streets is watching, and so are the feds. Let's keep our heads straight and focus on the music. Arell, you got potential, and I wanna see you shine. But let's keep it out the streets, aight?"
The Game's words hung in the air, a major contrast to his previous aggressive stance. It was clear that the recent violence had left an impression on him.
DJ Akademiks ended the stream with The Game and turned back to his audience, his face a mix of surprise and intrigue.
"Damn, did y'all see that? The Game just did a complete 180. He's showing respect to Arell now, saying they need to keep the beef out of the streets. It's wild how quickly things can change when the heat gets turned up."
He leaned back in his chair, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Man, this is the kind of stuff that keeps the game interesting. Arell's making waves, and even The Game's taking notice. But y'all know how it is. Things can flip again in a heartbeat."
DJ Akademiks leaned back in his chair, his face lighting up with excitement. "Alright, y'all, let's switch gears and talk about Arell. This dude's been on fire lately. First off, his new release featuring Travis Scott has charted at number 39. That's right, number 39! This track is climbing the charts fast, and it's only getting started."
He glanced at the chat, which was filling up with comments and emojis. "But that ain't all, folks. Arell's been working on some new stuff. Word on the street is that he's been in the studio non-stop, grinding away on his next project and even pulled up to the studio with Rich Homie Quan."
Akademiks reached off-screen and pulled out a limited edition Infinity hoodie, holding it up for the camera. The chat exploded with excitement. "Y'all see this? This is the limited edition hoodie from Infinity, Arell's brand. And guess who wore this exact hoodie? Miley Cyrus, y'all! That's right, your boy Akademiks got one too. Y'all ain't got it like me!"
He put the hoodie on, posing dramatically for the camera. "Look at this drip! Infinity is taking off, picking up sales fast. This brand is on route to its first 500 thousand before the end of the week. And trust me, the clothes are fire, fire, I'm telling ya'll."
The chat was spamming fire emojis, and Akademiks reveled in the attention. "I've got some insider information for y'all too. There's someone behind the scenes making big moves for Arell. His name is Geoffrey, Arell's cousin and manager. This dude is no joke."
Akademiks leaned in, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "This guy's got connections and he's been handling business like a boss."
He pulled up some documents on the screen, showing legal cases and investments linked to Geoffrey. "Geoffrey has worked on a few legal cases, including helping a Mexican family retain their scrapyard. This dude is everywhere, making sure Arell and Infinity stay on top."
Akademiks showed more documents and photos on the screen, showcasing Geoffrey's involvement in various projects. "This guy is a mastermind, making sure everything is airtight."
He leaned back, a grin spreading across his face. "Now, let's talk about Drake. Y'all know Drake is always in the mix, and I hope he sees what going on and decides to get active because I need new hits man."
As he continued to hype up Arell, the chat started spamming messages. "Yo, what's going on in the chat?" Akademiks squinted at the screen, then his eyes widened. "Hold up, y'all. I'm seeing a message from Arell's YouTube page. He wants to hop on and talk to us!"
The chat exploded with excitement. Akademiks quickly clicked on the message and set up the stream to bring Arell on live. "Alright, y'all, we're about to have a special guest. Give it up for Arell Rose!"
The screen split, and Arell appeared on the other side. He was in a white room with a lot of boxes in the background, wearing a cozy-looking jacket and a durag with the ties hanging down. He smiled at the camera.
"What's up, Akademiks?" Arell said, grinning.
Akademiks was lit up with excitement. "Wassup, wassup! We got Arell Rose in the building, y'all!"
"Thanks for bringing me on," Arell said. "You got a lot of people in here. This is wild."
Akademiks laughed. "You already know, man. We gotta talk about everything that's been going down. First off, how do you feel about The Game switching up and showing respect?"
Arell shrugged, still smiling. "I mean, cool. I never really took what he said all that seriously. I don't beef over girls, you know? It's all good."
Akademiks chuckled, stuttering a bit in his excitement. "Nah, nah, you know what actually, I gotta ask you about Drake. You a fan of his music?"
Arell's face lit up. "Definitely. Drake's music is fire. He's a legend. I'd love to work with him someday."
The chat was going crazy, and Akademiks was feeding off the energy. "Man, that would be epic. But yo, I gotta ask, are you dating India Love?"
Arell laughed, shaking his head. "We're good friends." He smiled a bit, and Akademiks jumped on it.
"Cap! Cap!" Akademiks shouted, laughing. "You smiling, bro! You can't fool us!"
Arell laughed along, shaking his head. "Nah, for real, we're just friends."
Akademiks grinned. "Alright, alright. But on a serious note, how you feeling about the Chicago stuff? We all hope Kenny is straight."
Arell's expression sobered. "Kenny's good. Thank God. If I lost him, I don't know what I'd do. He's my brother, you know? The whole situation is messed up, but we're staying strong."
Akademiks nodded, the chat filling with messages of support. "That's good to hear, man. And how you holding up in Atlanta with everything that's been going on?"
Arell took a deep breath. "It's been hectic. The shooting shook us all, but we're keeping our heads up. Atlanta's my home, and we're focused on moving forward. We've got a lot of projects in the works, and we're just taking it one day at a time."
"Respect," Akademiks said, nodding. "I know you gotta give those PR answers, but we appreciate you keeping it real with us. What's next for you and Infinity?"
Arell smiled. "We're working on some new music, expanding the brand, and just trying to keep the momentum going. Infinity's about more than just clothes or music; it's a lifestyle. We want to inspire people to chase their dreams and stay true to themselves."
Akademiks leaned in, genuinely interested. "That's what's up. And I gotta say, the limited edition hoodie? Fire. How's the brand doing overall?"
Arell's eyes sparkled with pride. "It's taking off. Sales are through the roof and the support has been incredible."
Akademiks threw up his hands, hyping it up. "Y'all hear that? Infinity is blowing up! If you ain't got your gear yet, you better hurry up before it sells out!"
He leaned back, grinning. "Alright, Arell, let's talk about the music. You've been making waves, and that track with Travis Scott is fire. How'd you get him on the feature?"
Arell chuckled, leaning into the camera a bit. "Man, that was wild. Young Thug invited me to his studio one night. I pull up, and there's Travis. We hit it off right away, made a song and just vibed, talking about music. Later, when I was working on 'Fair Trade,' I thought about who would sound good on it. Travis came to mind, so I reached out, and he was down. The rest is history."
Akademiks nodded, clearly impressed. "That's what's up. Fair Trade is a banger, no doubt. How did you come up with the composition for it? The beat, the lyrics, everything just clicks."
Arell smiled but played it cool, not wanting to take credit for it. "You know, it just kind of flowed. I had this vision in my head and just went with it. The beat came first, then the lyrics.."
"Man, you're being humble," Akademiks said with a laugh. "That track is on another level."
Arell shrugged modestly. "Just doing my thing, you know."
Akademiks leaned forward, changing gears. "Now, about Reese. What's going on there? You guys used to be tight, but things have gotten heated. How do you feel about all that?"
Arell's smile faded, replaced by a more serious expression. He took a moment before answering. "It's like, why, you know? Why you wanna beef with me? We ain't ever gonna be cool again, it's past that. But I didn't ask to beef with bro. It just is what it is."
Akademiks nodded slowly. "I get that. Sometimes things just escalate and there's no going back. Would you ever consider ending the beef if given the chance?"
Arell went silent, his gaze dropping to the floor for a moment before looking back at the camera. "Sure."
Akademiks raised an eyebrow. "You don't sound like you mean that."
Arell sighed, his shoulders tensing slightly. "Nah, I mean it."
The tension in the air was palpable. Akademiks shifted in his seat, trying to lighten the mood. "Do you miss Chicago? Your roots, the people, the scene there?"
Arell's expression softened a bit. "I do, man. Chicago will always be home. The energy, the culture, it's different. I miss the good times, the people I grew up with. But at the same time, Atlanta's giving me new opportunities and a fresh start."
Akademiks nodded thoughtfully. "I feel that. Every place has its own vibe, its own challenges and opportunities. Sometimes moving on is the best way to grow."
Arell smiled faintly. "Exactly. You can't stay in one place forever. Gotta keep moving, keep evolving."
Akademiks leaned back, rubbing his chin. "It's like when I moved from New Jersey to New York. Same vibe but different energy, different opportunities. Sometimes you just need that change of scenery."
Arell nodded. "For sure. Chicago will always be in my heart, but Atlanta's where I'm building something new. It's all about growth."
Akademiks took a sip of his drink, then set it down. "So, with everything going on, how do you stay focused? How do you keep your head in the game?"
Arell thought for a moment. "It's about balance. I got my music, my brand, my people around me. I try to stay grounded and remember why I started this in the first place. It's easy to get lost in the hype, but you gotta stay true to yourself."
"Facts," Akademiks agreed. "It's easy to lose sight of who you are when things get crazy. Staying grounded is key. Speaking of staying true, your track Fair Trade—did you ever think it would blow up like it did?"
Arell smiled. "Honestly, I knew it had potential, but seeing it climb the charts has been surreal. The fans really connected with it, and that's all I could ask for."
Akademiks chuckled. "Man, it's sitting at number 39! That's no small feat. You've got a hit on your hands."
Arell's face lit up. "It's wild, man. Just trying to keep the momentum going."
Akademiks shifted in his seat "So, what's next for you? Any big projects we should be looking out for?"
Arell leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "I'm working on some new music, definitely. Got a project in the works and some more features lined up. And we're expanding Infinity, dropping new collections soon. Big things are coming."
"That's what we like to hear," Akademiks said with a grin. "And before we wrap up, I gotta ask—any message for your fans out there?"
Arell nodded, his expression sincere. "Just wanna say thank you to everyone who's been supporting me and showing love. We couldn't do this without y'all. Keep believing in yourself, stay true to who you are, and don't let anyone tell you what you can or can't do. Much love."
Akademiks grinned. "That's real talk. Appreciate you coming on, Arell. We'll be watching your rise, man."
"Thanks, Akademiks," Arell said, smiling. "Appreciate the love."