“I see why the streets dead”: DJ Akademiks reacts to Freddie Gibbs recording himself calling Gunna a “rat” after seeing him at VMAs 2025

The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards have become a flashpoint in an ongoing feud between rappers Freddie Gibbs and Gunna. Gibbs posted a series of Instagram Stories at the award show where he mocked Gunna, who has been under constant scrutiny since accepting an Alford plea in the 2022 YSL RICO trial.

In the videos, Gibbs and a friend are seen singing Ricky Martin's Livin’ La Vida Loca, with the caption:

“2 n**s that never ratted.”

He then zoomed in on Gunna from behind, whispering, “I see you, boy. He’s tryna hide,” before calling him a “rat ba****d.” To further inflame the bait, Gibbs added his own lyrics to the video, which are from his song Lavish Habits on the album Alfredo 2, where he raps:

“I’m still gon’ squeeze Akademiks tit****, that fat bas**** / Gunna dissed me and took a plea, he a rat bas****.”

After the event, DJ Akademiks shared his thoughts on Gibbs’ decision to secretly record Gunna during the ceremony and post the footage on social media. On September 9, 2025, Akademiks posted his full response on X and wrote:

DJ Akademiks

@Akademiks

Wait a vice lord Gangster “Freddie Gibbs” saw a “RAT” - GUNNA- and secretly recorded him and called him a rat n whispered to his phone for a minute. Then when he posted the video online he promoted his music over it ? I see why the streets dead

---

All about Freddie Gibbs and Gunna’s ongoing feud

The conflict between Freddie Gibbs and Gunna dates back to 2019, when the latter's cousin was accused of being involved in a local crime. Gunna addressed a press reporter at the time, trying to clear his relative's name regarding the alleged incident.

However, many quickly accused the rapper of snitching on his family member, despite limited evidence that the footage was from the well-known criminal tracking show. Gunna defended himself by appearing on the local radio five months later and saying:

"Man, I don't know what the f**k that's about. Man, Crime Stopper where? I ain't never stop a crime. Never."

Later that day, Freddie Gibbs joined the conversation indirectly through X, saying:

"If u was on crime stoppers TV u a snitch. Ain't no way around it," without mentioning Gunna in particular.

Freddie Gibbs attends the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena on September 07, 2025, in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for MTV)

The feud escalated on January 5, 2022, when Gunna swiped at Gibbs before releasing his album Drip Season Four, tweeting:

"When my album drops Freddie Gibbs will the biggest moment of his career."

In response, Gibbs tweeted a series of statements aimed at Gunna's new content, including:

"U can say U sold more records got more money but I ain't never been on crime stoppers. Fin."

The later subliminal messages posted by Gunna on Twitter (now X) were seen by many fans as a follow-up to the argument, expecting them to be reflected in his album. This was confirmed when a clip surfaced showing Gunna listening to an unreleased track (Poochie Gown) in his car, dancing as a snippet of the song played.

"I can't f** with Freddie Gibbs."

The conflict resurfaced in March 2022 when Gibbs posted a video of himself dancing to Poochie Gown on stage, further escalating tensions. By 2025, the feud flared up again with Freddie Gibbs releasing his track Lavish Habits on the album Alfredo 2, where he specifically criticized Gunna's Alford plea in the 2022 YSL RICO trial.

“Gunna dissed me and took a plea, he a rat b*****d,” he rapped.

---

Stay tuned for updates.