At the end of March, The Joe Budden Podcast underwent a substantial shake-up following the departures of longtime co-hosts Rory and Mal. While Budden himself appeared optimistic that the pair would return in time, that didn't stop many from speculating on the nature of the split, with some fearing that they were witnessing the end of an era.
Evidently, such fears have proven unfounded. As of today's brand new episode of the JBP, titled "Shaking The Tree," Rory and Mal have indeed returned to their formerly held positions. Unsurprisingly, the situation is addressed throughout the three-hour-plus episode. "Me, Mal, and Joe met last week," reveals Rory. "There was a lot of grown man feelings, it was a little uncomfortable. It was a lot of feelings for three grown-ass men in a living room."
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"When we had a conversation at Joe's house, it was like, the business is the business," explains Mal, around the twenty-minute mark. "We can fix that, or we can't. But as long as respect is still in play, me personally, I feel like anything can be solved...That was part of the conversation Joe and I had when I left. I felt like there wasn't any respect. So let me remove myself, cause I don't know what this is anymore. I don't know if I'm talking to my n***a or a n***a I just met. The more important thing as men is to sit down and get your feelings out."
"We didn't behave [as friends]," adds Joe, sparking further discussion on how unresolved tension could have ultimately derailed the podcast entirely. While there's certainly a lot to unpack -- after all, "Shaking The Tree" clocks in at staggering three hours plus -- fans of the show would be wise to dive into this one, as there's clearly a lot of ground to cover. From the sound of it, Rory, Mal, and Joe appear to have sorted through some of their more pressing issues, and it seems as if the Podcast will continue moving forward with the original lineup -- at least, for now.
Check out their triumphant return below.