"She’s playing it smart" - Netizens react as DJ Akademiks theorizes why Rihanna hasn't released new music in almost a decade

Internet personality DJ Akademiks a.k.a. Livingston Allen recently spoke about why Rihanna hasn't released new music in a long time. During a recent livestream, Allen wondered if the Barbadian songstress hasn't dropped songs due to a bad record deal.

The nine-time Grammy-winning singer's last album was Anti, which came out in 2016. Akademiks, in his livestream, explained:

"I would love to see Rihanna's music contracts," before elborating, "What I've realized in life: anytime rappers or musicians don't put out music, it's never because they don't want to. Their contract s**ks."

As clips from the livestream went viral, internet users were quick to react. On wrote:

"Do you all know how stressful the music game is? She has secured steady income with a stapled legacy as an artist. She’s playing it smart."

A comment reacting to the news (Image via X/ @Chatn**ga101)

Many explained that the Umbrella hitmaker was a billionaire owing to her business ventures and even owned the master rights to all her recordings. Hence, music wasn't her priority. Here are some comments seen on X:

"People like Ak don’t understand levels. Rihanna runs a company generates 500 & above annually. That’s just 1 company. Music is not her priority. She did that. He worships dummy like drake. Rihanna controls everything with her name on it and been since 2012," one wrote.

"Don’t need music when you making bank outside itv," another commented.

"She owns all her masters and she made like a billion off of cosmetics," a fan noted.

There were a few that supported Allen's view.

"Sad to say but he’s correct," a user remarked.

"Her voices isn't there anymore. She sounded raspy the last video I saw from her," another claimed.

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"I gotta see her music contract because this is baffling"- DJ Akademiks on Rihanna not making new music

In clips circulating online, DJ Akademiks explained that Rihanna's decision to not go back to making music. He remarked:

"She'll drop anything but music... I gotta see her music contract because this is baffling."

At one point, Akademiks noted that the Barbadian singer has more monthly listeners (87 million) than Drake (73 million) despite not releasing new music in "forever."

However, Allen also acknowledged that his theory comes under question if one supposes that for an artist of Rihanna's caliber (referencing the commercial success of her projects), her label would probably pressure her to drop even more music.

He then posited that any new music she releases would be shared "in equity" with somebody. However, she has complete ownership of her other business ventures, adding that, "she could never make the money that she's making now off of music."

Elsewhere in the livestream, DJ Akademiks claimed Kendrick Lamar, too, went on a hiatus because he wanted to get out of his deal with label TDE (Top Dawg Entertainment) and establish PGLang.

According to a Pitchfork report, in August 2021, Lamar announced his final album with the label, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers (2022). The project was the rapper's first in five years (preceded by Damn, which came out in 2017).

Following its release, he focused on PGLang, which he co-founded with his manager, Dave Free.

"If you listen to it, respectfully, if you listen to Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers it don't sound like some sh*t that took five years create," Akademiks explained, adding, "its because he was going through label issues."

Last April, Rihanna told Extra she was working on a new project. Fans have since speculated on its release. However, there is no official release date as of this writing.