As much as Joe Budden might have a problem with Drake on many levels, he's also often conceded that he likes a lot of his material, that he respects him as a rapper, and that it's a pretty complicated relationship. If you want proof of that, look no further than his latest podcast episode reaction to the 6ix God's new collaboration with Camila Cabello on her album C,XOXO. Moreover, maybe folks mostly remember Joe's thoughts on Drizzy through the lens of the recent Kendrick Lamar beef. While he might not always like Aubrey when he acts tough, he does like him with the melodies pretty often.
Furthermore, you can see from The Joe Budden Podcast's general reaction to "HOT UPTOWN" that not everyone was as impressed and into it as the titular host. "That's enough, that's enough," Budden said of the Drake collaboration about a minute into it. "We don't need to hear no more of that. Who don't know that that's a hit? Who don't know that that's going to take the game where it needs to be? Come on, for the summertime? Coming off of the beef? Perfect thing to do."
The Joe Budden Podcast Reacts To Drake's Camila Cabello Collabs
Elsewhere during The Joe Budden Podcast's discussion, they spoke on how Drake took things back to a lot of his earlier breezy hits and catchiness. Some folks were "thrown off" by this approach, but the consensus was mostly positive, especially when considering it in a summer context. It's similar to how folks responded to this and the "Uugly" interlude online: some appreciate the melodic approach, others praise it in a back-handed manner, and some people are just haters. The way the cookie crumbles.
Meanwhile, we wonder if these new Drake tracks will impact folks' current discussion around who is the better rapper between him and Kendrick Lamar. We definitely know that Joe Budden feels pretty confident in the latter, but rap artists don't always have to be lyrical masterminds to get praise. No matter how much we play this song in the summer, it's exciting to move forward for both of these artists. Despite their decade-plus-long run, platforms like The Joe Budden Podcast show that folks are still very excited about what they have to offer in any capacity.