Key Takeaways
- Complex’s 2026 hip-hop media power ranking has DJ Akademiks in the No. 1 spot, spurring an ongoing debate.
- Reactions to the latest ranking from Complex have been swift, with Drake suggested to have congratulated Ak on the top spot, while others have been more critical.
- Charlamagne Tha God, Joe Budden, and more are also featured in the latest ranking.
The 2026 edition of Complex’s hip-hop media power ranking is here, with the resulting discourse seemingly poised to persist for the foreseeable future.
Topping this year’s list, to the chagrin of critics, is DJ Akademiks. In a subsequent interview with Jordan Rose for Complex’s Re-Rank series, Akademiks pushed back on the description of him as a “polarizing figure,” arguing instead that he views himself as someone who tells “the truth,” marking a self-assessment that’s sure to lead to even more controversy.
The response to the latest Complex list, both from fans and fellow media figures alike, has been swift. Below, we take a closer look at some of the biggest reactions. And make sure to head this way to check out the full list and Re-Rank it.
Drake
Drake reached out to congratulate Akademiks for taking the No. 1 spot, at least that’s what has been suggested by Ak himself.
“Shout-out to my boy Drake,” Ak said in a recent stream when referencing the Iceman artist. “No. 1 media personality, No. 1 rapper. It’s like Shaq and Kobe over here. … A lot of people reached out, and I really appreciate it and I’m taking it all in. But yeah, I just wanna kinda help the league. I love the league. I like even getting at other personalities because I love the league, man.”
Ebro Darden, Laura Stylez, and Peter Rosenberg
In a recent episode of The Ebro Laura Rosenberg Show, the trio gave their takes on Complex’s ranking. While Rosenberg was more outwardly critical of Ak’s positioning, Ebro (ranked at No. 9) and Stylez both pointed to his reach as being instrumental in the ranking.
“I think he’s got a big platform,” Ebro said of Ak, adding that “the ecosystem they’ve built” is one that “creates conversation, for better or for worse.” Rosenberg pushed back, arguing that “weird incels on Twitter” were present in such conversations, while Ebro asserted that he’s simply “happy” to be in the larger conversation.
Still, Ebro did make a point about the presentation of the list itself, including the release of the aforementioned Re-Rank episode and broader algorithmic concerns.
“So they all benefitting from the whole moment together, for the algo-hustle,” he said. “So, it’s all algo-hustle.”
Joe Budden
Budden, who came in at No. 2 behind Akademiks on this year’s list, joined his Joe Budden Podcast team in congratulating a number of other personalities who were featured in the ranking, including Rob Markman and Elliott Wilson. He also offered Ak his congratulations, but with a slight, albeit playfully delivered, caveat.
“Ak, what up bro?” he said, as seen below. “Ak, I hear your little streams, n***a.You want war? Like, what’s up? You trying to turn shit up? I gotta call my man to see what’s going on. I feel like all the people that was on Drake’s side, it’s just time for them to get their shit off with Iceman coming. I feel like that’s what it is. I was on the other side of this. … Ak, congrats on No. 1. You guys, congrats on No. 2. The rest of you, work harder. Work harder. You can do it.”
Westside Gunn
“Damn, no [Brian “B.Dot” Miller],” Gunn wrote in an X post in which he tucked in a broken heart emoji. “Ya fake rage bait list every year is on a ventilator.”
B.Dot was quick to respond by sharing a clip of him discussing his picks for the top rappers of 2025, writing, “Breathe easy, scumbag!”
Rob Markman
Markman, who came in at No. 35, offered his own congratulations to other figures on the list, all while underscoring what he sees as the ranking’s display of just how “vast and undefined” the current hip-hop media landscape is.
However, Markman did have some notes.
“Now, maybe I'm biased, [but] I think I should have been rated higher than No. 35, but it's all good, man,” he said. “The community held me down. In the community voting, y'all actually had me ranked at No. 3. Y'all showed mad love and I appreciate it. Now, on the actual list, Charlamagne Tha God is ranked at No. 5. Should have been No. 1 to me. I mean, with The Breakfast Club, Brilliant Idiots, Black Effect. I mean, he signed a $200 million deal with iHeart. We all saw him in Forbes. He's putting out books, and he has smoke with the president of the United States. I mean, the president tweeted about him.”
For the full list, also featuring Frazier Tharpe and The Kid Mero, among others, see here. Readers can also Re-Rank Complex’s list and share it online.
