DJ Akademiks isn’t letting Joe Budden get the last word. In a new stream, Ak is responding to Joe Budden’s criticism over whether or not he’s promoting gambling, and the timing couldn’t be more intense. Budden brought up the question of whether Akademiks is misleading his audience by promoting betting platforms. But Akademiks pushed back during a recent stream, calling out what he sees as hypocrisy across the industry. The conversation comes amidst a recent lawsuit, that names Ak and accuses him, Drake, and Adin Ross of illegal gambling and racketeering.

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Budden recently expressed on his podcast that he feels Ak might be gambling his money with Stake. “I watch him do hours of commentary on hip-hop in front of a Stake screen,” Budden said. “It’s seeming like he’s gambling his money.” It didn’t take long for Akademiks to respond.

During a recent stream, Akademiks brushed off the criticism. According to him, it doesn’t make sense to criticize gambling culture while also being tied to companies in that same space. Moreover, he framed Budden’s comments as hypocritical, citing that he’s sponsored by apps like PrizePicks, which encourage gambling. “You can’t talk against it when that’s your biggest sponsor,” Ak said. “I’m like yo cut it out.”

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He also added that he’s watched people condemn gambling one minute, then turn around and promote it in the next breath. From his perspective, that contradiction is more damaging than anything he’s doing on stream.

The back-and-forth taps into a bigger conversation happening across hip-hop media and content creators. Gambling sponsorships have become increasingly common, especially with streamers and influencers. But they’ve also raised questions about transparency and responsibility. Fans are starting to pay closer attention to who’s actually betting their own money. Versus who might be working with a platform.

The debate lands at a complicated moment. As HNHH previously mentioned, a new lawsuit has added fuel to the conversation, naming Akademiks alongside Drake and Adin Ross in an alleged illegal gambling and racketeering case. According to court documents reviewed by Complex, the complaint was filed by a man who says he lost money on Stake.us and believes the platform violates state gambling laws. The lawsuit also claims that the celebrities involved used their influence to promote the site while not being fully transparent about their partnerships.

It remains to be seen how the controversy will play out in court.