DJ Akademiks names Drake’s ICEMAN as Album of the Year at ComplexCon

During a panel at ComplexCon in Los Angeles, DJ Akademiks advocated for Drake’s album ‘ICEMAN’ as the 2026 Album of the Year. Akademiks praised the project for its versatility, citing its success with West Coast and Florida-style tracks, and noted that Drake achieved this success without a label.

While Akademiks defended the album, an audience poll indicated a divide, with approximately 60% of voters considering ‘ICEMAN’ to be overrated. During the discussion, Akademiks also offered criticism toward J. Cole.

Commercially, ‘ICEMAN’ has achieved significant milestones, spending 13 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. This surpasses the 12-week run of Drake’s 2011 album ‘Take Care’, setting a new personal record for the artist. The album has also contributed to Drake tying Future and The Temptations for the most No. 1 albums in the history of that specific chart.