The Joe Budden Podcast Episode 875 | "5%esque"
Nov 5, 2025
The crew kicks off with Halloween tales and dives into a lawsuit about alleged fraudulent streams involving Drake. They ponder who'd represent a proposed Hip-Hop Union while reacting to Jalen Green's new tattoo. AI music sparks a heated discussion on ethical concerns and the potential future of artists. The hosts dissect Dejounte Murray's emotional Instagram post about his baby mom and explore rumors surrounding Big Sean and Jhene Aiko's relationship. Marc Lamont Hill weighs in on Dick Cheney's legacy and Royce da 5'9"'s health battle.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Streaming Metrics Can Be Artificially Inflated
- RBX's lawsuit alleges streaming platforms and bot farms inflate play counts and harm lesser-known artists.
- The claim highlights systemic incentives that reward inflated metrics rather than genuine listenership.
Judging Chicago's Beat-Battle Festival
- Parks judged a Chicago beat-battle festival where he and Large Professor and Apollo Brown judged 50 artists.
- He praised the event's energy and the vibrant local hip-hop scene.
Pooled Streaming Payouts Harm Smaller Artists
- Joe explains Spotify pools revenue and distributes payments according to share of total streams.
- Artificially inflated plays thus shift money away from middle and emerging artists into the hands of top-streamed acts.