The long-standing feud between Joe Budden and Drake has taken a new turn as Budden unexpectedly showered praise on the Canadian rapper’s latest album, ICEMAN. This immediately fueled suspicion within the hip-hop community, given their deep-seated animosity, particularly after the devastating music battle between Drake and Kendrick Lamar.
Following this, DJ Akademiks – a popular streamer and loyal supporter of Drake – spoke out on his live stream, openly criticizing Budden’s positive review. Akademiks proudly declared that he didn’t believe the former rapper’s praise, asserting that Budden’s positive assessment was merely a calculated “business move.”
According to DJ Akademiks’ argument, Joe Budden was forced to change his attitude to protect the interests of his multi-million dollar podcast. Akademiks implied that major commercial deals and sponsors didn’t want Joe to continue getting deeply involved in a negative media war with an influential A-list star like Drake.
Not wanting to keep the public guessing for too long, Joe Budden officially responded in the next episode of The Joe Budden Podcast. There, the podcaster and his community directly countered Akademiks’ claims with a firm yet deeply sarcastic and biting attitude.
Joe Budden asserted that his praise for ICEMAN stemmed entirely from genuine emotion and the professional perspective of a seasoned musician. He admitted that he initially disliked many of the songs on the album when he first heard them, such as “Little Birdie,” but his perspective changed after more careful consideration of the technique.
Further explaining the album’s structure, Joe Budden compared ICEMAN to a more mature and refined version of his previous album, Scorpion. He argued that Drake had truly rediscovered his form and that his recognition of a quality musical product was perfectly normal and had nothing to do with money.
In addition, Joe Budden refuted DJ Akademiks’s “million-dollar contract” claim to attack him. Joe asserted that his media platform is independent and that he doesn’t need to “sell himself” or falsely praise anyone just to please partners or avoid public pressure.
This initial battle reveals the depth of contemporary hip-hop media, where each side strives to protect its own viewpoint and influence. While Akademiks attempts to prove Joe Budden a hypocrite, Joe Budden proves himself to be an impartial music critic, willing to praise even his rivals if their work truly deserves it.
