Joe Budden says that he's "jealous" of the autonomy afforded to Kendrick Lamar by transitioning to his own label ahead of the release of his highly-anticipated fifth studio album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.
"I am so fucking jealous of how he's able to do that," Budden said during the segment, after reading a post from Lamar's website. "In his own way, just quietly, ain't said a peep for years."
When another one of the hosts mentions being excited for the new album, Budden adds, "As a music lover, you're excited, and part of why you're excited is part of why I'm jealous: You have no idea what he's talking about. We don't know what he's talking about. We don't know what mood he's in. We don't know how he's on."
Lamar announced that Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers will be his last record with TDE during a post on his website, oklama.com, last year.
"As I produce my final TDE album, I feel joy to have been a part of such a cultural imprint after 17 years," he said at the time. "The Struggles. The Success. And most importantly, the Brotherhood. May the Most High continue to use Top Dawg as a vessel for candid creators. As I continue to pursue my life’s calling."
Budden's comments come after the release of Lamar's first single as a lead artist since 2018 in "The Heart Part 5." The music video for the song sees Lamar morphing his face into that of Kanye West, Nipsey Hussle, Will Smith, Kobe Bryant, OJ Simpson, and Jussie Smollett.
Check out Budden's full segment on Lamar's upcoming album below.
