"You know what you doing and you know what you threatening"- Joe Budden calls Drake a Karen, accuses him of code-switching

Joe Budden criticized Drake as the former appeared on the latest episode of his podcast on January 18, 2025. Budden was spotted specifically addressing Drake's legal problems with the Universal Music Group since November 2024.

While the rapper withdrew his lawsuit on January 14, 2025, he filed another case against the company the following day, alleging that UMG damaged his reputation by spreading a fake narrative while promoting Not Like Us, as per NBC News.

Addressing the lawsuit, Joe Budden said in his podcast that Drake's music does not leave any impact on him anymore after the legal issues.

"I'm sad, I'm hurt, I'm disappointed … Shot through the heart, I love this sh*t too much man."

Joe Budden also recalled his dispute with Drake in the past, saying that the latter's fans used to appear at his house and they were encouraged by Drake himself. Budden referred to the same by saying:

"He cheered them on, he put them on a public platform. He applauded that behavior."

Budden also mentioned Drake's links to a rapper from Toronto who had once threatened Lamar. Although Budden did not disclose the name of the other rapper, he said:

"You know who you running around with and you know what you're doing and you know what you threatening. So if you that, then be that. But don't be that and also Karen out."

He further stated:

"If you're a Karen, be a Karen. But you code switching. Because you at a game with, you running around with this n*gga that has been threatening Kendrick, say I'm gonna kill you, I'mma do XYZ."

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Joe Budden and Drake have been involved in a beef for almost 9 years

A report by Capital Xtra stated that the duo's dispute reportedly started when Drake released an album called Views in 2016 and Budden said in his podcast that the album "sounds real f*ckin' uninspired."

Drake indirectly replied in a Snapchat video the same year, where he was rapping to a phrase called "pump, pump it up", which was seemingly taken from Budden's song Pump It Up.

Drake then released a single titled 4PM In Calabasas, where he referred to a lot of things related to Joe Budden. Joe responded with a diss track titled Making A Murderer Pt. 1 where he was heard rapping:

"My words ain't ghostwritten I ain't Drake/That's all gimmick I'm authentic I ain't Drake/Ain't nothing wrong with it, only saying I ain't fake."

Drake also targeted Budden in his collaborative single with French Montana, titled No Shopping, and while performing as part of his Summer Sixteen tour in Dallas in 2016 in Dallas, Drake referred to Joe by rapping the following lines on stage:

"I should've brought Joe Budden up here and let him do 'Pump It Up' one time tonight. Pump, pump, pump it up. F*ck them n*ggas, man."

The duo continued to target each other on different occasions and seemingly resolved their issues in 2020 after Drake appeared on Budden's Instagram Live, saying that he would clear everything about certain leaked songs and also do an interview with Joe, as per Business Insider.

However, the problems did not end since the beef started for another time with Drake making fun of Joe Budden's single Pump It Up in 2022 and the dispute has not ended so far.