On last week’s episode of The Joe Budden Podcast, former rapper and podcast host Joe Budden voiced his concerns about the current state of Hip Hop, claiming that the genre is taking a troubling turn. Budden’s commentary delves into the industry’s dynamics, highlighting the absence of No. 1 records in 2023 and shedding light on the challenges faced by artists in navigating the complex music business landscape.
Budden kicked off his critique by pointing out the notable lack of No. 1 Hip Hop albums in 2023. According to him, the scarcity of chart-topping records last year raises questions about the industry’s health and the success of artists within it. The podcast host emphasized that only a select few, including Lil Uzi Vert with his album “Pink Tape,” managed to secure the top spot on the Billboard 200 chart.
“Last year, no No. 1 Hip Hop album for however long tells me that. The No. 1s that came tells me that. Travis, Uzi, Drake… There’s only seven. There’s seven rappers that they focus on. [For some, it’s] because y’all are truly talented and make people all the money in the world. [For others, it’s] because too many people have their hand in your pocket to let you fail,” Budden explained. “But everybody else, if you not getting it [through] touring or if you not getting it through other means, this music s**t is a wrap!”
Budden also expressed his belief that many musicians are financially strained, especially in comparison to the revenue generated by their work. He contended that the music industry’s landscape is deceiving, with artists being misled by contractual language and false promises of ownership. The “Pump It Up” rapper argued that recent layoffs within the industry are indicative of underlying issues that extend beyond the surface.
“I’m saying all of the musicians are broke, relatively — relative to what you bring in. My conversation is about what’s going on in the majors. They tricking y’all with the words in these contracts. They tricking y’all into thinking y’all are real partners. They tricking y’all with the, ‘Hey, you own your stuff.’ The recent layoffs tell me that.”
He concluded with, “I think it’s much worse than I can even sit here and say. Post that on your blogs. Joe Budden says, ‘Bad times ahead.’”
It’s been an entertaining two weeks as Drake and Kendrick Lamar have been sparring in a lyrical battle.
Since Kendrick’s diss towards Drake on Metro Boominand Future‘s We Don’t Trust You track, “Like That,” Drake returned fire with two diss tracks titled, “Push Ups” and “Taylor Made Freestyle,” Kendrick Lamar then returned with two tracks towards Drake titled, “Euphoria” and “6:16 in LA.”
The two rappers aren’t done yet, as Drake has just released his response to Kendrick titled “Family Matters.” On the diss track, things get personal as Drake brings up Kendrick’s wife, Whitney Alford.
“Say you hate the girls I fuck but what you really mean / I been with Black and white and everything in between / You the Black messiah wifing up a mixed queen / And hit vanilla cream to help out with your self-esteem.”
Drake also implies that Kendrick’s kids aren’t his, but are actually Dave Free’s, Kendrick Lamar’s longtime creative partner.
“Why you never hold your son and tell him say cheese / We could have left the kids out of this don’t blame me,” he raps.
“Our sons should go play at the park / Two light-skinned kids, that shit would be cute / Unless you don’t want to be seen with anyone that’s Blacker than you”
Megan Thee Stallion‘s lawyer, Alex Spiro, addressed the lawsuit filed by Megan Thee Stallion’s former cameraman Emilio Garcia, alleging sexual harassment and a hostile work environment. Spiro, in a statement to Page Six on Tuesday (April 23), dismissed the lawsuit as an opportunistic money grab and characterized it as an attempt to tarnish his client’s reputation.
“This is an employment claim for money — with no sexual harassment claim filed and with salacious accusations to attempt to embarrass her,” he said. “We will deal with this in court.”
The suit details an incident where Garcia allegedly found himself trapped in a moving SUV with Megan whileshe engaged in sexual activity with another woman during their time in Ibiza, Spain.
According to court documents, “The following day, STALLION inquired whether PLAINTIFF was in the SUV the previous night. PLAINTIFF confirmed that he was in the SUV. Subsequently, STALLION instructed, ‘Don’t ever discuss what you saw.’ STALLION berated and directed her fat-shaming comments towards PLAINTIFF such as ‘Fat Bitch,’ ‘Spit your food out,’ and that ‘You don’t need to be eating.’”
Garcia is seeking compensation of over six figures, Garcia’s lawsuit requests unpaid wages, overtime pay, and other benefits as per California labor laws, along with statutory penalties and punitive damages.
Chance The Rapper quietly revealed his upcoming mixtape, “Star Line,” via Instagram. In his bio, he simply stated, “Working on my mixtape it’s called Star Line.” The project will feature collaborations with notable artists like Lil Wayne, DJ Premier, Lil Yachty, and more.
On X (formerly Twitter), Chance shared a teaser clip featuring appearances from Wayne, Preemo, Lil Yachty, Jermaine Dupri, T-Pain, Jazze Pha, and Vic Mensa. Additionally, he gave fans a sneak peek of a new track titled “Buried Alive” and polled them on whether he should drop a music video for it.
Albums4 weeks ago
