Joe Budden Questions Why Elliott Wilson Is Working With DJ Vlad

BY Gabriel Bras Nevares
Link Copied to Clipboard!
Joe Budden Questions Elliott Wilson Working With DJ Vlad
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)
On "The Joe Budden Podcast," he and his cohosts discussed if it's a "demotion" for Elliott Wilson to be collaborating with DJ Vlad.

Hit-Boy recently sat down for a surprising conversation, but it wasn't just because of the content. It was also due to the unexpected link-up between its hosts: DJ Vlad and Elliott Wilson. They are stereotypically known for different kinds of hip-hop media, so it was curious to see them collaborate. However, as evidenced by The Joe Budden Podcast's most recent episode, this has also sparked a debate about what this team-up indicates.

As caught by CY Chels on Twitter, Budden looked at Wilson's history and independence as a journalist compared to that of VladTV. What's more is that the Slaughterhouse MC wondered if this is a downgrade for Elliott considering his previous success.

"Elliott paired with Vlad looks funny," he remarked. "Because Elliott has always been, at least optically, his own pillar. Elliott has been the pillar. And then there's been all these ancillary pieces. The Vlads, the me's, and he's the pillar. So now, to see him on Vlad, where you kind of have a good understanding of the mechanics, it looks a little funny. It looks like a demotion. It looks like you're taking a check, it looks like you're taking a job. Which leads to the question I have for y'all: Jay-Z, '96, famous song. 'Can't Knock The Hustle'?"

Joe Budden On Elliott Wilson & DJ Vlad

Then, the rest of the pod chimed in. "If we're going to knock a hustle, there are hustles we should knock," Ice remarked. "I don't knock nobody for going to do an interview with... 'I'm on this platform, I'm on this platform.' We know Elliott just had a health scare, Elliott just had twins. Life be life-ing. He's not out here knocking nobody upside the head, robbing, selling drugs. He's not out there doing none of that. So I'm definitely not gon' knock your hustle for going to sit with Vlad... That's what I never understand."

"There will be people who will be more outraged by that than the dude that's actually selling crack," Marc Lamont Hill shared. "That's the s**t that's crazy to me. 'He had to feed his family, but don't go on Vlad.'"

Overall, this discussion may have to do with DJ Vlad's previous hip-hop media controversies, and there are a few sides to consider. Joe Budden and Elliott Wilson have clashed before, but not in any truly serious way.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.

Comments 0