Joe Budden Thinks Kendrick Lamar Could Do The “Funniest Thing In Hip-Hop History” On “ICEMAN” Release Date

BY Aron A.
Link Copied to Clipboard!
kendrick lamar drake
Feb 9, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Recording artist Kendrick Lamar performs during the halftime show of Super Bowl LIX between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs at Ceasars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
With "ICEMAN" just a few days away, the Joe Budden Podcast wonders what would happen if Kendrick Lamar dropped on the same day.

The tension between Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s feud still lingers on two years later. With Drake’s new album, ICEMAN on the way, it seems inevitable that he’ll be addressing everything that has happened since. After all, there have been lawsuits, conspiracy theories, and the continuous suggestion of a supposed red button that should’ve been detonated long ago. All of this to say, Drake’s clearly still harboring resentment from the tragic ending to that feud.

During a recent episode of the Joe Budden Podcast, the host, Joe Budden, said that he randomly imagined a scenario where Kendrick dropped on the same day as ICEMAN (May 15th) in an attempt to squash its hype. 

“This is totally not going to happen, but I got a wild imagination, so him doing that got me on bullsh*t. I think that Kendrick is chilling somewhere; this beef is two years old. He’s done, he’s not thinking about this,” Budden explained. 

“He does have the chance to do the funniest sh*t in hip-hop history,” Joe continued before a co-host asked, “drop a new album?”

“Drop anything on Friday, Kendrick Lamar. I’m not telling him to do that,” Joe stated, clarifying that he doesn’t want pro-Drake pundits to accuse him of trying to root for Drake’s demise, which Joe denied. He added that he doesn’t think it would actually happen.

Ice, however, said that it would backfire if it happened. “If he dropped the same day, I wouldn’t have him winning that,” he continued. “If… [Kendrick] wants to go do some wild outrageous sh*t and drop a surprise project the same day that ICEMAN comes out, I don’t have him outselling ICEMAN.”

Will Kendrick Lamar Drop On The Same Day As ICEMAN?

Although the possibility of Kendrick dropping this Friday is purely hypothetical, there has been enough speculation to fuel this theory. For one, GNX and “Euphoria” disappeared from Apple Music, along with the YouTube listings for the music videos for “Not Like Us” and “Luther,” among other releases, before reappearing on their respective platforms. But more than that, there has been speculation regarding the “Who Is The Giant?” posters that appeared in Los Angeles, Atlanta, and New York. The QR code on the posters led to www.whoisthegiant.com with a 30-second video. It’s unclear who this rollout belongs to, but all things considered, it doesn’t seem too presumptuous to think that this could be a pgLang affair. Check out the clip of Joe Budden and co. above and let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.

Comments 1