In the escalating feud between Kendrick Lamar and Drake, rapper-turned-podcaster Joe Budden has declared an early victor.
Following the release of Kendrick’s response track Euphoria to Drake’s diss tracks Push Ups and Taylor Made Freestyle, Budden shared his insights on the feud during a live stream with Akademiks.
Joe Budden claimed that Kendrick has taken the lead in this first round of diss records, but he expressed anticipation for Drake’s response.
He dismissed DJ Akademiks’ assertion that Drake was leading, sparking laughter among his podcast co-hosts. Budden emphasized his objectivity as a media personality, despite his past issues with Drake.
Joe Budden expects Drake to bounce back Kendrick Lamar
Budden expressed his desire to see how Drake would handle a challenge from a peer, rather than an artist he could dismiss based on commercial success. He urged Drake to step up and face the challenge, likening the situation to a fight where one must stand their ground.
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Budden also criticized Kanye West for inserting himself into the feud between Kendrick Lamar and Drake. In a recent episode of his podcast, Budden condemned Kanye’s decision to take shots at Drake in a remix of Future, Metro Boomin, and Kendrick’s Like That, which reignited the tension between the Compton and Toronto natives.
Budden accused Kanye of attention-seeking and criticized him for not taking his shot when Drake was gunning for him.
However, Budden did commend Kanye’s production on the track, praising the magic that happens when Kanye gets around a choir. Despite Budden’s criticism, Metro Boomin appeared to co-sign Kanye West’s diss by posting a photo of the two of them together in the studio.
Drake forced by 2Pac estate to take down Kendrick Lamar diss
Meanwhile, Drake’s diss track against Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Made Freestyle, has been removed following legal threats from 2Pac’s estate.
The song, which used artificial intelligence to mimic the voices of both 2Pac and Snoop Dogg, was pulled from Drake’s social media pages after the estate of the Dear Mama rapper issued a 24-hour takedown notice.
