The Joe Budden and Rory & Mal Beef: A Breakdown

Last week, Complex released its “Hip Hop Media Power Ranking” list of the most influential voices in hip hop media. Former rapper and now-successful podcast host Joe Budden topped the list for The Joe Budden Podcast. Following the list, there was a back-and-forth between Budden and his former co-hosts, Rory Farrell and Mal Clay, who now host the New Rory & Mal podcast. 

From 2016 to 2021, Budden, alongside Rory and Mal, grew The Joe Budden Podcast into one of the most successful hip hop platforms. However, they split in 2021 because Joe allegedly stole money from Rory and Mal. The initial breakup was highly publicized. Though both parties have been successful, there have since been heated exchanges between the two podcasts. Here is a breakdown of Joe Budden’s beef with Rory and Mal.

Fans first noticed the tension between members of The Joe Budden Podcast in 2020. Joe and Rory would occasionally talk about fighting one another, as well as fighting Mal. During a 2020 skit to help launch The Joe Budden Podcast Network, Rory slipped in a joke about “seeing the accountant.” While not understood by fans at the time, that remark can be considered as an early sign of their bubbling feud.

The Episode 424 of The Joe Budden Podcast in March 2021 marked the first episode without Rory and Mal. Joe told the two to “take a few pods off." The reasons behind this were unknown. Budden’s friends, Ice and Ish, assumed what were thought to be temporary positions as co-hosts alongside Parks and Savon.

The stress between Joe Budden and Rory and Mal reached a breaking point during their final episodes on the podcast. During the two episodes, they tried to carry on as usual but conflicted on whether or not they owed each other respect as friends. Rory and Mal sided with each other, while Parks stuck by Joe. At this point, the reasons behind their tension were still unclear. The following episode after Rory and Mal’s final appearances was the infamous Episode 437. In this podcast, Joe can be seen talking to an empty room, expressing his anger towards Rory and Mal, and officially firing them from the show.

Following their departure from The Joe Budden Podcast, Rory and Mal released a response video addressing Joe’s remarks about them in Episode 437. They reveal the reason behind their argument is that Joe allegedly stole money from them and would not show them to see the books. Joe argued that he made Rory and Mal’s success, and they should be grateful for him.

On the other hand, Rory and Mal claimed that he would not be where he is without them. The pair launched New Rory & Mal in June 2021 and signed a deal with SiriusXM’s Stitcher platform soon after. Simultaneously, Joe rebrands The Joe Budden Podcast with Parks, Ice, and Ish as his co-hosts. As two separate entities, both podcasts have continued to exchange subliminal jabs at one another.

Rory and Mal’s podcast launch and tour announcement videos included sneak disses toward Joe, referring to his remarks about them, his shady business practices, and his tour cancellation. Mal and Joe would diss each other when asked about the falling out in their independent podcasts and interviews. During an interview, Mal said he’d “shake the room before [he’d] shake [Joe’s] hand” if he saw him.

Following these subliminal disses, the beef between Joe Budden and Mal has been reignited a few times. In October 2022, Joe spoke directly about Rory and Mal in a JBP episode titled “Accountability In The Culture.” Rory and Mal fired back at him a few days later with an episode titled “Accountability In The Culture, Part II.” Mal goes off, saying that it “pains [Joe]” to see them thriving, and tells Budden to show them the accounting once and for all. 

The most recent exchanges between Budden, Rory, and Mal happened afterthe latter two reacted to Joe’s placement on Complex’s list during a Patreon episode, calling him “the cat burglar.” Following that episode, Joe disses Rory and Mal directly despite addressing them by name. He talked about how they put in a low effort in their podcasting. He also said they should not speak about him since they didn’t even make Complex’s list, dubbing them the “Bare Minimum Boys.” Rory then directly tells Joe to stop talking about him and move on during their response, aptly titled “Bare Minimum Boys.” Despite that, Joe continued to poke fun at Rory and Mal.

Overall, the Rory and Mal era of The Joe Budden Podcast was a special time in podcasting. Though both parties are successful today, that era was them at their best. The Joe Budden Podcast remains in the top three global music podcast charts. Earlier this year, the JBP added new members, Trevor “QueenzFlip” Robinson and Melyssa Ford, bringing a new lively energy to the podcast. Joe also started Humans, an interview show about people with unique experiences. Rory & Mal successfully toured North America last year, including a sold-out show in London. They have a very loyal fanbase and have conducted a variety of interviews.