"You think Universal ain't got nothing to do with that?" — DJ Akademiks claims The Weeknd performing at Grammys was a message to Drake

DJ Akademiks recently shared his thoughts about The Weeknd performing at the 2025 Grammys, effectively ending his four-year boycott of the awards ceremony. The Weeknd surprised fans and attendees with his special performance at the music awards ceremony on February 2, singing Cry For Me and Timeless from his recent album, Hurry Up Tomorrow.

In a Rumble livestream on February 3, Akademiks claimed Universal Music Group (UMG) played a part in The Weeknd performing at the Grammys amid the record label's legal battle with Drake. For the unversed, Drake filed a defamation lawsuit against UMG in January, condemning the record label for promoting Kendrick Lamar's Not Like Us despite the track dubbing him a p*dophile.

Lamar's diss track earned him five Grammys, including Song and Record of the Year. In his livestream, Akademiks claimed UMG allegedly sent a message to Drake by having The Weeknd perform at the Grammys, saying:

"Weeknd and Drake, they were boycotting the Grammys. Look what ended up happening. Now the Grammys are awarding the song that's kicking Drake's backend. They gave that 5 Grammys. And look who came back to perform at the Grammys. The n****a that don't like Drake neither. You think Universal ain't got nothing to do with that?"

He continued that this alleged move seemed like the record label was telling Drake to "f**k off" in an attempt to show him that "music will continue with or without him." Akademiks also mentioned the high-five shared between Dr. Dre and UMG's CEO, Lucian Grainge, after Lamar's Grammy win. He added that he allegedly sent Drake a text message saying, "You in some trouble," after seeing that moment.

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Drake supported The Weeknd in his decision to boycott the Grammys

The Weeknd started his Grammy boycott in 2021, after receiving zero nominations for his successful 2020 album, After Hours, and his hit single Blinding Lights. He accused the Grammys of being corrupt, adding that he and his fans deserved transparency in a now-deleted X post after the nominations were announced.

Following this, Drake also reportedly took to his Instagram Story to compose a lengthy post supporting his fellow Canadian artist, writing:

"I think we should stop allowing ourselves to be shocked every year by the disconnect between impactful music and these awards and just accept that what once was the highest form of recognition may no longer matter to the artists that exist now and the ones who come after."

Similar to The Weeknd, Drake boycotted the awards show since his last appearance in 2019. The rapper also withdrew his 2021 album, Certified Lover Boy, and song Way 2 Sexy, out of consideration despite its nomination in the Best Rap Album and Best Rap Performance categories respectively.

The Canadian rapper has been vocal about his disdain for the awards show for many years now. He criticized the Grammys for categorizing his hit song, Hotline Bling, in the rap category, adding that it belonged in the pop section.

Her Loss, Drake's collaborative 2022 album with 21 Savage, received four nominations during the 2024 Grammys, however, Drake did not attend the awards show. Following the 2024 Grammys, he encouraged fellow artists not to be discouraged if they lost in an Instagram story at the time, writing:

“All you incredible artists remember this show isn’t the facts it’s just the opinion of a group of people whose names are kept a secret (literally you can google in). Congrats to anybody winning anything for Hip-Hop but this show doesn’t dictate s**t in our world.”

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In other news, The Weeknd announced his “After Hours Til Dawn" 2025 stadium tour with Playboi Carti, reportedly slated between May 9 and September 3. The singer is expected to perform in over 25 cities, including Phoenix, Chicago, Las Vegas, Vancouver, and Miami.