Joe Budden Theorizes That Kendrick Lamar Was Pandering To Drake's Audience During SZA Interview

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Revolt And AT&T Host Revolt 3-Day Summit In Atlanta  September 13
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 13: Joe Budden speaks onstage during day 2 of REVOLT Summit x AT&T Summit on September 13, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for Revolt)
Joe Budden came to Kendrick Lamar's defense over the interview.

Joe Budden has come to the defense of Kendrick Lamar amid criticism over his recent interview with SZA. Speaking about the Harper's Bazaar cover story during the latest episode of his podcast, Budden and company spoke about some of the more controversial revelations.

The discussion started with the group speaking on Lamar's comments about embracing his vulnerability while making music. Budden theorized the remarks were a way of appealing to Drake's fanbase. "I felt like this is him coming around having to pander back to the pansies," he said. "'I killed King Pansy--' to him, I'm not calling him that. But, 'I killed King Pansy, but I lost some pansies in the process, so I gotta come back around and appeal to them.'"

Kendrick Lamar & SZA Perform Together At Coachella

INDIO, CA - APRIL 13: SZA and Kendrick Lamar perform onstage during the 2018 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Field on April 13, 2018, in Indio, California. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Coachella)

Budden isn't the only person to speak out in defense of Lamar over the piece. When several voices in the media criticized him for taking an easy interview, TDE Punch wrote on X (formerly Twitter): "I respect Hip Hop Journalism and feel it’s needed in its truest form. It help keep the culture alive. But it’s only a few real ones left. Most of you guys are trash. Just my opinion. That’s why artist don’t want to talk to you." Adam22, on the other hand, labeled it a "softball interview."

Joe Budden Speaks On Kendrick Lamar

Check out the full discussion of Lamar's interview with SZA in a clip from The Joe Budden Podcast below. In the interview, the two also discussed the meaning behind "Not Like Us," SZA meeting Katt Williams, and more. Be on the lookout for further updates on Joe Budden as well as Kendrick Lamar and SZA on HotNewHipHop.

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About The Author
Cole Blake is a current staff writer at HotNewHipHop based out of New York City. He began writing for the site as an intern back in 2018 while finishing his B.A. in Journalism at St. John’s University. In the time since, he’s covered a number of breaking stories for HNHH. These include the ongoing YSL RICO trial, the allegations surrounding Diddy, and much more. His work also extends outside of hip-hop, having written extensively about a myriad of topics including politics, sports, and pop culture. He’s attended several music festivals to provide coverage for the site as well, such as Rolling Loud and Governors Ball.
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