"I thought it was cool" — Joe Budden shares his thoughts on Drake and PartyNextDoor's new album $$$4U

Podcast host Joe Budden recently shared his thoughts on Drake's latest studio album, created in collaboration with PartyNextDoor. The 21-track album, titled $ome $exy $ongs 4 U ($$$4U), was released on February 14, 2025, marking the Toronto rapper's first album since his feud with Kendrick Lamar.

During episode 800 of The Joe Budden Podcast, the influencer expressed his opinion about Drizzy's latest release, stating:

"I thought it was cool. If you're a Drake fan you're probably really happy. It's good to see the moment. If you are a Party fan you might be disappointed. It's good to hear a Drake that you're familiar with."

Budden also picked two of his favorite tracks from the album and added:

"Know that there are two best joints on this project to me - Deeper and Gimme A Hug. By far, for me. I like the first half of this project and I think it's cool."

According to Billboard, $$$4U has become the biggest R&B album in the history of Apple Music as per first-day streams. It is Drizzy's first studio album since his 2023 release, For All The Dogs.

---

Drake seemingly took a dig at Joe Budden in his new track Gimme A Hug from $$$4U

In the track Gimme A Hug in Drake's latest album, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, the rapper seemingly took a dig at former rapper and podcaster Joe Budden. In his lyrics, Drizzy name-dropped Budden's co-host, Melyssa Ford, for being Canadian but criticized her for collaborating with a "d*ck sucker," seemingly a reference to Joe Budden.

"Melyssa Ford, you a legend from the 6ix, hate to see you with a d*ck-sucker," he rapped.

Gimme A Hug also saw Drake allude to his rap battle with Kendrick Lamar between March and May last year. In one verse, Drizzy mentions a "rap beef" and raps:

"Damn/They be droppin' s**t, but we be droppin' harder s**t (Droppin' harder s**t) F**k a rap beef, I'm tryna get the party lit."

Drake also supposedly referred to Kendrick Lamar's popular diss track, Not Like Us, which was aimed at him. This year, Lamar won five Grammy Awards for the song, including the prestigious Record of the Year and Song of the Year. In one of his tracks titled Celibacy, Drizzy rapped:

"We got a lot of things to discuss/ Like these men you know you can’t trust/ Or these girls that just don’t give mе enough/ F*ck, I guess it’s up and it’s stuck/ We’rе not like them, baby, and they’re not like us, either one."

The OVO CEO's album was released after Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime show performance, where the rapper performed many of his hits, including two diss tracks directed at Drake—Not Like Us and Euphoria. In the former, Lamar claimed that the Toronto rapper is a "certified p*dophile" but censored that part of the lyrics during his Super Bowl performance.

However, Kendrick Lamar took additional shots at Drake, including what appeared to be a reference to his lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG). The Toronto rapper sued his record label, alleging they used illegal tactics to inflate the sales of K Dot's Not Like Us.

In addition to the alleged references to Kendrick Lamar and Joe Budden, Drizzy's latest album also featured mentions of Charli XCX and Tate McRae by name. He rapped on the track Small Town Fame:

"Puttin' Charli up her nose, X on her tongue / She been geekin' hard, she done had a Brat summer."

---

Drizzy is currently on tour in Australia. He also recently announced his 3 Nights At Wireless Tour, which will be held in London, UK, between July 11 and July 13, 2025. The Toronto rapper will be accompanied by several other artists, including his latest collaborator, PartyNextDoor.