Joe Budden Thinks Drake Sounds "Evolved" On New Album "ICEMAN"

BY Gabriel Bras Nevares
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Joe Budden Drake Sounds Evolved New Album ICEMAN
Jun 13, 2019; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Recording artist Drake watches with Toronto Raptors fans as they cheer on their team in the NBA Finals against Golden State Warriors at the Jurassic Park watch party at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect
"The Joe Budden Podcast" spoke on Drake's triple album release and how "ICEMAN" connects to his earlier discography.

Drake and Joe Budden share a complicated relationship, with previous disses peppering a critical but understanding media relationship... For the most part. The Joe Budden Podcast recently reacted to Drizzy's new album ICEMAN, and fans expected some sharp critique. But Budden seems quite pleased with what he heard, and offered a nuanced take on the artistic direction.

As caught by yours truly on Twitter, the show's recent episode saw its titular host reflect on the 6ix God feeling like he was having a normal day while remembering the past two years of strife on the new tracklist. The podcasters didn't talk in detailed fashion about his other two albums, HABIBTI and MAID OF HONOUR. At least, in these clips.

Back to Joe, he said The Boy isn't being a "victim" and is instead acknowledging the chaos, praising the comeback and comparing it to Jay-Z after Nas' "Ether" diss track. The hosts had more Hov and Aubrey Graham conversations elsewhere, as caught by CY Chels on Twitter.

Budden compared ICEMAN to Drake's Scorpion, saying he sounds "evolved" from more violent venom, although Ice pushed back on this a bit. Elsewhere, the group discussed Drake's ICEMAN disses, specifically his shots at J. Cole for backing out of the Kendrick Lamar battle. Budden assessed Drizzy thought it was a "red flag" for Cole not to talk to him after that feud.

The Joe Budden Podcast Reacts To Drake's ICEMAN

Also, the JBP debated Drake's Jay-Z disses, arguing if the two are on the same level or not. Brian "B.Dot" Miller thinks they are, while the others mostly disagreed.

Finally, the hosts discussed Drake's Kendrick Lamar beef and whether Kendrick "knocked him into adulthood" on ICEMAN. Budden also praised Drake's link-up with DJ Akademiks, expressing happiness for the long-awaited meeting and celebrating how he avoided other media personalities he's been associated with as of late.

There's a lot the JBP delved into here, and even more to dive into with this triple album release. Considering Joe's past criticisms of the OVO mogul, some fans will feel vindication while others will claim hypocrisy. In any case, there's a lot of food for thought.

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.

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