Culture
Joe Budden Says “Bad Times Ahead” in the Music Industry
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.’”
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.
I’ll be ready to go pic.twitter.com/zYliNZJsjj
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) April 21, 2024
“Star Line” marks Chance The Rapper’s follow-up to his 2019 album, “The Big Day.”
Saweetie took to social media Tuesday morning that her ex-boyfriend Quavo reached out to her via direct messages, following his mention of her in his latest diss track aimed at Chris Brown, titled “Over Hoes & B-tches.”
In the song, Quavo raps, “I can take a model chick and make a Saweetie, n-gga,” which Saweetie didn’t take lightly. She shared a screenshot from January 2024, showing Quavo’s message on Instagram, which she hadn’t opened. The preview read, “Damn. We used to mean af to each…” Saweetie’s caption for the screenshot humorously suggested she hopes the model Quavo compares to her.
hopefully the model he turns into me replies pic.twitter.com/eSqBcPh0wP
— ❄️ (@Saweetie) April 23, 2024
This exchange coincided with Saweetie attending a USC game with Chris Brown.
Saweetie reacts to Chris Brown's new track dissing Quavo. https://t.co/aBANHh04lj
— miixtapechiick.com (@MXCKdotCom) April 20, 2024
"You f–ked my ex-h-, that's cool, I don't give no f–k, lil n—a (Still a b—h)/'Cause I f–ked yo' ex when you were still with her, b—h, I'm up, lil n—a."
The two were spotted at a USC… pic.twitter.com/EqDEAVA44w
The history between Saweetie and Quavo dates back to their relationship from 2018 to 2021, which ended amid allegations of infidelity on Quavo’s part. Chris Brown didn’t hesitate to leverage their past relationship in his own diss track, “Weakest Link,” claiming to have been involved with Saweetie while she was still with Quavo.
“You fucked my ex-ho, that’s cool, I don’t give no fuck, lil n-gga/ ‘Cause I fucked yo’ ex when you were still with her, bitch, I’m up, lil n-gga,” he rapped.
Quavo previously dated Brown’s ex-girlfriend Karrueche Tran, who filed for a restraining order against Brown after their breakup in 2017.
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