Joe Budden Is Glad Drake "Humanized Himself" During Rap Radar Interview

BY Erika Marie 7.0K Views
Link Copied to Clipboard!
John Phillips / Stringer / Getty Images, Phillip Faraone / Stringer / Getty Images
Drake, Joe Budden
He said it was probably the first time he'd heard Drake refer to himself as a "black artist."

He's known as a social commentator of the culture, so MSNBC invited Joe Budden to their studio for a candid interview about music, diversity, politics, therapy, and much, much more. The podcast host chatted with Ari Melber for nearly a half an hour, and while there was a myriad of topics discussed, right out of the gate they spent quite some time analyzing Drake.

Recently, Budden and his The Joe Budden Podcast co-hosts spoke at length about Drake's filmed Rap Radar interview, a rare appearance for OVO's head honcho. Ari wanted to chat about Drake lamenting that he doesn't get recognition as an accomplished black artist and he played the clip back for Budden.

"Sometimes I don't feel celebrated when I know somebody else would be celebrated for those accomplishments," Drake said in his interview. "I don't feel like people say when Drake is the artist of the decade, I don't think anybody says 'Wow, a black artist is the artist of the decade." After the clip ended, Budden said, "That might of been one of the first times I heard him refer to himself that way. Like, as a black artist, but he's right."

"He'll never be on the outside looking in, so who are we to say how he feels, how he should feel, but I think that many entertainers and athletes and just people in our industry move around with that chip on their shoulder," Budden continued. "And they carry it. And they protect it. And I think we got a rare chance to see that in Drake. Somebody who's piled up so many wins that I guess we feel like that shouldn't be there."

Budden thought it was good to see the superstar rapper "humanize himself" in such a manner on that platform. Check out what else Budden had to say about the Toronto rapper below.


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.

Comments 3
Page was generated in 2.6272730827332