Joe Budden and Lupe Fiasco are longtime participants of the hip-hop culture, so it’s cool to see them discuss things they’ve been criticized for right in the open, such as their alleged hate of the two biggest artists in the genre.
On Monday, the two came together on X Spaces, where Fiasco said that he’s barely paid attention to the beef between Lamar and Drake, saying that he only listened to “Push Ups,” and Rick Ross’ response, “Champagne Moments.” Other than that, he’s been out of the loop.
He added, “I haven’t listened to anything. So I haven’t heard any of the records: ‘Family Matters,’ ‘Meet the Grahams,’ ‘Not Like Us.’ I kinda tapped out.”
Budden made light of this fact by saying that Lupe has, “Sheer hate for one of them n****s,” referring to Kendrick Lamar.
In response, Lupe said, “You hate Drake.” Budden disagreed, saying, “No, but it’s from love and you hate Kendrick from love.”
Lupe denied that claim, saying, “No, I love Dot!” Budden then added, “Like I love Drake!”
Later in the audio clip, “The Cool” MC tries to end the rumor that he hates K. Dot, saying, “I do not have a problem. No matter what was said in the past, what you think happened, what happened, what didn’t happen. I personally and professionally do not have a problem with my brother-in-arms Kendrick Lamar.”
Listen to the entire interaction below:
Fiasco did something similar over the weekend, when he got in a spirited argument with a fan on an X Spaces , saying, “I’m a Kendrick fan for more than his music. I like his creativity and conceptualization. And the decisions that he makes. I also like his impact on the culture for Black folks. I like that he inspires Black folks. That’s why I never said I don’t like him.”
He continued, “Cus even if I don’t like all his songs or listen to all his songs — and same thing with Drake — I understand their impact into the culture and I would never, ever, ever — because for me it’s us first — ever, ever, disparage.”
Truth is, the narrative that Fiasco doesn’t like Lamar has been discussed in the hip-hop community for a while now.
In April, just after Lamar’s verse on “Like That” was heard by the world, Lupe was asked if Kendrick is a better rapper than Drake. In response, he stated, “Not really. Drake got bars … so I would give it to Drake. I think Kendrick’s a better technically skilled performer but I don’t think he’s a better rapper.”
When it comes to Budden, his criticism of the 6 God is well-documented, as he released multiple diss tracks toward the Toronto MC years ago and has been publicly rooting for Lamar to beat Drake throughout the beef.