Joe Budden Shares Snippet Of Unreleased Kobe Bryant Rap Sent To Him By Shaq

BY Erika Marie 3.5K Views
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Kobe Bryant, Joe Budden
Budden initially didn't know what it was.

It's been over a week since Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and their seven friends lost their lives in a helicopter accident, and people are still struggling with the reality of the sport's star's death. While the sensationalism around his passing has dissipated, it will still be a long road of grieving and mourning for many of Kobe's fan's friends, and love ones.

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The tragedy will continue to be a topic of discussion for many news and media outlets in the months to come, and on the recent episode of The Joe Budden Podcast, the hosts chatted about Black Mamba's rap career. "He was one of us, he was a rapper," Budden said before sharing a secret with the world. He played a vintage, unreleased track of Kobe rapping. "Shaq sent this to my phone. I thought this was just like, a joint that had come out but I had never heard it." 

Unfortunately, we're only able to hear a few brief seconds of the song before the podcast crew became sidetracked as they accused Budden of flexing. The remainder of the clip shows the group teasing one another, but prior to the jabs, Budden shared that he appreciated how sports players and professionals honored Kobe, including Shaquille O'Neal.

On an episode of NBA on TNT, Shaq tearfully verbalized how losing the basketball icon had affected him. "I haven't felt a pain that sharp in a while," Shaq said. "Forty-seven-years-old... lost two grandmothers, lost a sarge, lost my sister, and now I lost a little brother." Watch the clip of The Joe Budden Podcast 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.