Club Shay Shay – Joe Budden Part 2

Podcast: Club Shay Shay
Host: Shannon Sharpe
Guest: Joe Budden
Date: February 4, 2026

Overview

In this wide-ranging and candid follow-up conversation, Shannon Sharpe sits down with podcasting powerhouse and former rapper Joe Budden. The discussion spans everything from personal growth and mental health, the evolution of hip hop, Joe’s podcasting philosophy, leaving the music industry, dealing with fame and public scrutiny, to handling business and relationships in the spotlight. Joe Budden is open about his past struggles, his approach to building teams, his insights into the industry, and his growth as both an artist and a person.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Mental Health & Personal Growth

• Importance of Mental Health:

  • Joe emphasizes how central mental health is to his well-being, especially as he's gotten older. He shares how learning to say "no" and prioritizing his peace is a fundamental shift in his lifestyle.
    • “Learning how to say no was important in my story. I'm quick with a no. Hell no.” (01:48 – Joe)
  • Creating a positive daily environment is key:
    • “I'm not gonna be somewhere just miserable and grumpy and unhappy around some killjoy of a person. No, no, no. I need good energy, good vibrations, high frequency.” (02:32 – Joe)
  • The power of the morning sets his day:
    • “It sets the tone for my day. How the morning goes is how I’m going to go in all of these different places and people that I have to be at and see.” (03:02 – Joe)

• Advice for Others:

  • On surviving tough moments:
    • “If you're struggling to get through the day, just give yourself a shot. Pray yourself through it if you can.” (01:30 – Joe)

2. Evolution of Hip Hop

• Motivation and Authenticity:

  • Joe notes that the motivation for being a rapper has shifted—whereas in his era, skill and craftsmanship were paramount, now visibility, money, and social media drive the culture.
    • “In the 90s, there was a belief that you couldn’t even get on without being the best…That’s not the belief anymore.” (04:08 – Joe)
    • “It’s the microwave. A lot more microwave today. A lot more processed. In the 90s, it was more made by hand; it was more craftsmanship.” (05:23 – Joe)

• Glorification of Jail in Hip Hop:

  • Joe pushes back on the idea that jail was always glorified in hip hop and shares his mother’s warnings about the prison system.
    • “My mom always raised me, hey, don’t go to jail. And if you get in there, it’s a system that’s in there in place just for people like you to get there. And there’s nothing I can do for you. That was enough for me.” (06:38 – Joe)

• Defining “Gangster”:

  • Joe reframes what power and living really mean:
    • “Gangster is seeing your kids get old. Gangster is going to the graduation. That’s the stuff we should be trying to talk about.” (09:39 – Joe)

3. Fame, The Internet, and the News

• Negative Effects of Media Saturation:
  • Both host and guest comment on how 24/7 news cycles and social media distort our sense of safety and community.
    • “Because we have more access to more news…California doesn't seem that far away now. New York is not. Even though we're here, it's not that far away.” (10:46 – Shannon)
  • Joe brings it back to personal responsibility and kindness:
    • “Why not try to make the most out of every day? Like, why not be kind to my fellow human? Why not not preach murder, kill, kill, kill…Because I also believe in the power of words, too.” (11:54 – Joe)

4. Relationships & Public Scrutiny

• On Marriage and Dating Publicly:
  • Joe is cautious but open about marriage and praises his current partner for her support and structure in his life.
    • “She’s my structure, my accountability system. That’s my baby. We'll get to it. I'm not into Russian shit.” (13:24 – Joe)
  • On public relationships:
    • “If we put it on the Internet, we wanted it to be on the Internet. Like, I'm prepared for whatever comes with that. Be solid in who you with and who you are, and you'll be cool.” (14:34 – Joe)

5. Podcasting Philosophy & Building a Brand

• Team Building:

  • Chemistry and work ethic are foundational when hiring, says Joe.
    • “A large part of it is chemistry. That and work ethic. For me, like, I've been blessed…the people that I've hired are like…they love it like me. They're ready to work like me.” (15:11 – Joe)
  • Importance of a strong team and delegation:
    • “You learn as you go that hire as many people as you can that are gonna help you.” (16:25 – Joe)

• Handling Talent Departures:

  • On Melissa Ford’s departure and turnover:
    • “We do want people to leave…Like, I think that's a misconception…We definitely want people to leave…so in that you want people to grow and flourish and go get other opportunities.” (22:26 – Joe)

• Podcast Contracts and Money:

  • Discusses openness about pay and standard contract clauses about salary confidentiality:
    • “That's in there. My lawyer has that in there…But yo, I want everybody to make as much as they can make. It just gotta make sense.” (17:01 – Joe)

• On Entertaining and Creating Space:

  • The show’s value comes from authenticity and letting people show unexpected sides of themselves:
    • “Whatever people are bringing that is gonna make this shit entertaining…that’s the goal. It’s an entertainment show.” (20:23 – Joe)
  • Mark Lamont Hill’s role and why he works on the show:
    • “Mark brings just…a wealth of knowledge, is professional in every sense of the word. His humor, his dark humor…he’s a brother from Philly and reminds you of it.” (18:20 – Joe)

6. Public “Messiness” and Safe Spaces on Podcasts

• Debate Over Being “Messy”:
  • Both discuss the boundaries between hosting, gossip, and creating a safe but entertaining space (32:43–38:29).
    • “She’s creating the space to hear something that we’ve never heard before.” (32:47 – Joe on Oprah)
    • “A little healthy mess…nobody’s hurt, just friendly. Hey, toss this up there and see what happens. There's nothing wrong with that.” (36:43 – Joe)

7. The Business & Trauma of the Music Industry

• Independence and Learning the Hard Way:

  • Joe shares his early ignorance of music business realities and the long fight for his independence:
    • “At 23, I had no idea what I was doing. I didn’t have the slightest clue about taxes…I didn’t even understand it when it was radio play. You need a hit record. All right. What is a hit record? Okay, how do you get one of those?” (44:07–46:45 – Joe)
  • On label contracts, budgets, and recoupment costs:
    • “Everything comes out of yours. Everything. Everything’s recoupable at this time. Cause you can’t get anything popping without the labels.” (46:01 – Joe)
  • His perspective on “Pump It Up” as a turning point:
    • “I hear 22 year old Joe Budden…if I don’t come up with something, they’ll drop me from my label. Like I hear that guy who had the world ahead of him, but he delivered.” (47:11 – Joe)

• Def Jam Mount Rushmore Debate:

  • Joe sticks with hip hop forefathers:
    • “LL Cool J…Run DMC has to be there. But Jay Z and DMX have to be there.” (47:57 – Joe)

8. Addiction, Recovery, and Health

• Drug Use and Recovery:
  • Candid account of being addicted to Percocet and Oxycontin after surgery:
    • “When I left the hospital, I was hooked to perks…I didn’t leave home with less than 40 pills on me. But you do that long enough, your body starts to become almost dependent on it.” (51:56–52:04 – Joe)
  • Recovery was gradual and required support:
    • “I have people. My parents…my friend group…was really instrumental in weaning me off of that stuff. And it wasn’t overnight. It was a struggle, indeed.” (53:04 – Joe)
  • On weight loss and health, and trying drugs like Ozempic/Zepbound for weight management:
    • “I did some dietary changes. I added some things to my workout routine…losing weight already. This was just supposed to be like an extra oomph.” (55:10 – Joe)
  • Encouragement for health screenings:
    • “There’s too many people dropping dead…go get all of that shit done. All of it. It’s annoying, I know. But you gotta do it.” (58:07 – Joe)

9. Life Lessons and Perspective

• On Aging and Wisdom:

  • Joe reflects on the hard-won maturity he’s gained:
    • “This is a lot of work, a lot of therapy, a lot of just growing up…these people have seen me…I've done it. I've done it. Anything there is to do, I've been blessed enough to. I've lived.” (28:09 – Joe)

• What would 20, 30, 40, and future Joe say to each other?

  • “At 20 I was just…I would have let my older self hear verse. I would have rapped for my 30 year old self is what I would have done. At 30, peak depression…not where I wanted to be in life…by 34, 35, I was like, you know what, am I gonna make it to 40…I should prep for it. What do I want my 40’s to look like?” (70:25–72:51 – Joe)

• On work ethic in podcasting and personal brand:

  • “Everybody wants to own some shit until it’s time to own some shit…Everybody wants to be successful until they find out what it looks like to be successful like. And that’s the grind of it. I love all of this shit though.” (69:49 – Joe)

10. Lighter Moments and Memorable Quotes

• On spades and competition:
  • “I can’t find a good spade game anymore.” (60:33 – Joe)
  • “I just don’t play kindergarten spades…normally don’t play for free because I’m great.” (61:24 – Joe)
• On New York sports fandom:
  • “I’m a Giants fan. I’m not an ets. Anything. Nets, Mets, Jets.” (64:19 – Joe)
• On AI and technology in music/media:
  • “I think it will be very helpful, and it’s gonna eventually change the world. It’s gonna be get down and lay down.” (65:43 – Joe)

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• Joe Budden on personal boundaries:
  “Learning how to say no was important in my story. I'm quick with a no. Hell no.” (01:48)
• Joe on the goal of aging:
  “Hope this is the goal. The goal is to age.” (00:41)
• Joe on mental health routines:
  “I'm not gonna be somewhere just miserable and grumpy and unhappy around some killjoy of a person. No, no, no. I need good energy, good vibrations, high frequency.” (02:32)
• Joe on hip hop’s shift:
  “In the 90s, there was a belief that you couldn’t even get on without being the best. That’s not the belief anymore.” (04:08)
• Joe on drugs and recovery:
  “When I left the hospital, I was hooked to perks…I didn’t leave home with less than 40 pills on me.” (51:56)
• Joe on the power of words:
  “Because I also believe in the power of words, too. If that’s what you’re saying, then it will happen. That’s what you’re manifesting.” (12:06)
• Joe on podcasting success:
  “Everybody wants to own some shit until it’s time to own some shit… Everybody wants to be successful until they find out what it looks like to be successful like. And that’s the grind of it.” (69:49)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Mental Health and Growth: 00:00 – 03:41
• Hip Hop Then vs Now: 04:08 – 05:48
• On Jail and Glorification in Rap: 05:48 – 06:34
• Fame, News, and Staying Positive: 10:22 – 12:06
• Dating and Relationships in Public: 12:18 – 14:34
• Podcast Team Building: 15:11 – 17:35
• Co-Hosts and Departures (Melissa Ford): 21:49 – 24:02
• Rory & Mal Split and Lessons Learned: 24:49 – 27:54
• On “Messiness” in Podcasting: 32:06 – 38:28
• Music Industry Trauma and Independence: 44:07 – 47:51
• Drug Addiction and Recovery: 50:05 – 53:33
• Spades, Sports, and Lighter Banter: 60:00 – 64:12
• The Future of Media & AI: 65:41 – 76:28

Conclusion

In this episode, Joe Budden pulls back the curtain on both his personal and professional evolution, covering deep and vulnerable material with authenticity and humor. From hard-learned lessons in the music industry to his reputation as a pioneering podcaster, Joe’s journey is one of growth—spiritually, mentally, and professionally. Whether discussing the state of hip hop or giving advice on success and sacrifice, Joe keeps it all the way real.

To hear more, check out The Joe Budden Podcast, available four times a week on Patreon and all major platforms.