NEWS
Joe Budden has responded to being mocked for his appearance and performance in a viral basketball game between the co-hosts of his podcast.
On Patreon, Budden uploaded a video of him and his crew playing a game of hoops, with the retired rapper appearing in less-than-perfect shape and not exactly showing NBA potential.
The “Pump It Up” hitmaker proceeded to be playfully roasted on social media, with one user commenting: “Joe Budden hooping is unhinged.”
Another said: “Watching the Joe Budden basketball game. these are the most WASHED individuals on the planet. [laughing emoji] they gotta delete this.”
One fan was in hysterics about the lack of ability on display, writing: “The Joe Budden Podcast crew playing basketball is hilarious.”
Joe Budden has taken the jokes in strikes and replied on his Instagram Stories: “You aren’t kind people. Check back in April. It’s go time.”
He also joked about his physical state after the game, writing on X: “My knees have been cracking all day,” before adding: “I’m crying…. We look like pure shit out there. This might be the funniest footage ever released.”
One person who Budden is not playing with is fellow New Yorker 50 Cent.
The two have been embroiled in a back and forth in recent weeks, ever since the former Slaughterhouse member said 50 needed therapy for mocking Irv Gotti’s death.
The feud has escalated to the point where 50 brought up an old clip of Budden admitting he inappopriately touched his pet dog.
In the video, which dates back to 2020, the rapper-turned-podcaster says: “Why do I always wanna make the dog feel good by playing with their fucking privates? … Anybody with a pet — come on, you did a little something down there to make your dog feel good.”
Fif tore into Budden for the weird confession, writing on Instagram: “Wait a minute, Joe you need therapy something is not right. You touch your pet sexually, master bate so often you need travel lube and sleep walk naked out side of your home. You should have to register as a sex offender.”
He also tagged animal welfare charity PETA.
Budden had previously threatened to sue 50 Cent for posting AI-generated pictures of him in his underwear on social media.
At the BTS concert in Tokyo on Friday (April 17), j-hope opened up to ARMY with heartbreaking news. His grandmother, who played a major role in raising him and had always been proud of his journey with the group, has passed away.
Speaking to the packed crowd at the Tokyo Dome, the K-pop star chose to be open with fans about what he was going through. “Honestly, this might be a bit of a heavy thing to share, but I really wanted to express how I’m feeling today,” he said, translated from Korean into English. “Right after we arrived in Japan, I got the news that my maternal grandmother, the one who raised me from when I was little, had passed away.”
“I felt completely stunned and did not really know how to process it at first, but being around the members, sitting down together for meals, and focusing on rehearsals helped me more than I thought it would,” j-hope went on. “My grandmother was always incredibly proud, not just of me but of all the members. She truly believed in what we do. So I feel like if she was watching from above today, she would have loved every second of it.”
He closed by thanking the audience for making his first performance after the loss feel meaningful and full of support.
BTS are currently touring in support of their new album ARIRANG, which has just earned a third week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Following three opening shows in Goyang, South Korea, the group is set to perform twice at the Tokyo Dome before heading abroad for the North American leg. Before the tour wraps in March next year, they will also visit Latin America, Europe, Australia, and several other regions across Asia.
On the same day as the first Tokyo concert, j-hope’s solo interview with Rolling Stone was released. During the conversation, he spoke about stepping into a leadership presence within the group. “I think that’s my role on the team,” he shared. “It just comes naturally. It feels strange to even call it a role, but I just try to handle things as they come and support the other members in any way I can.”
Additional reporting from Billboard Korea.
