I see this from multiple perspectives, but honestly... Vic isn't wrong for feeling the way he does. When I first saw the clip on social media, I figured "Well, he probably feels this way because these might be his friends out here dying." And now that I've read the thread, it turns out that Akademiks made a video about someone he knew since he was five. For Vic to feel upset, I think that's only natural. Whether he really felt some type of way to the point of actually wanting to slap him on camera or not remains to be seen, but I do understand how Vic and many other people from Chicago would feel.
I've lived in Chicago for a measly five years, but my youngest sister was born there, so I'll always feel a connection with that city. I have a ton of friends who still live there. And even though we never lived in the rougher areas of town, I feel for the people who live on the rougher ends who get trapped in that lifestyle with no way out. You got people dying for no reason, and then even having innocent people losing their lives as well. It's not funny, it's a very real situation to those who face that reality every day, or know someone that does. I completely understand, and this is why Akademiks should've been more careful when touching these topics. You can't be ridiculing people for something serious and expect them to not check you. Never mind Chicago or rap shyt, that's true in life as a whole. Don't be poking bears unless you're prepared for the consequences. Just be glad it was Vic Mensa, and not Fredo Santana, of all people.
Other than that? I feel like Akademiks should leave Everyday Struggle, because it's clear that he's being disrespected left and right over at Complex. Joe shyts on him constantly, Nedeska doesn't seem to take him seriously... Sometimes it's better to take the long route and say fukk the money, because it just seems that he's become Rap's Punching Bag. Not that he hasn't earned it sometimes, but I can only imagine that there's only so much he's willing to endure. He's only human, so I'm sure it gets to him. Even the comment section in that new video with Lucci and Thug are filled with "Yo Ak, you should leave ES". It's the Internet age, he can build a platform by himself. There's YouTubers with not even a quarter of his subscriber count providing professional quality content, he has the reach to do the same. Be the black Philip DeFranco or something. At least he'd have the freedom to share and discuss the content he wants without having dudes yell in his face everyday.
