The Ebro, Laura, Rosenberg Show – Episode 33

Date: February 10, 2026
Title: Addressing The Bad Bunny Hate + First Thoughts On J. Cole Album

Overview

This episode zeroes in on the backlash to Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show and the broader cultural and political anxieties it exposed, including language, race, and the shifting demographics of America. The hosts passionately dissect criticism from public figures (Mase, Chris Brown, Megyn Kelly), explore the meaning and impact of Bad Bunny’s performance, challenge attitudes about cultural representation, and segue into first impressions of J. Cole’s new double album. Throughout, the show maintains a mix of humor, righteous frustration, and camaraderie, touching on everything from NFL beefs to problematic celebrity headlines in hip-hop.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Bad Bunny Halftime Show Backlash

• Criticism from Mase and Chris Brown

• Ebro expresses frustration at “Bad Bunny hate,” especially critiques based on language or the show’s cultural character.
  • "I have feelings about it because … this is an opportunity where black and brown people — and Puerto Rico has people from all different races … The experience of Puerto Ricans is the experience of literally every oppressed minority in the United States. But we walk away on some selfish... I only give it a 4 out of 10." (Ebro, 04:44)
• Laura Rosenberg highlights the lack of understanding by critics:
  • “I do not understand coming away from the Super Bowl with any sort of criticism higher than 'oh, that kind of music is not for me'.” (Laura, 02:12)
• Mase’s criticism is especially called out as ironic, given his own past and (as mentioned by Laura) recent political leanings toward Trump.
• Chris Brown’s shade is debated — was it jealousy or just preference for different performance styles? Ebro suspects deeper divisions at play.

• The Show's Deeper Cultural Commentary

• Ebro passionately connects Bad Bunny’s set to histories of oppression, specifically drawing links between Black and Puerto Rican histories—and how halftime shows can be opportunities for community expression, similar to previous moments with Kendrick Lamar and Beyoncé:
  • "You have the biggest stage in entertainment… And there's artists who take that opportunity to make a statement and rep for their community. That's what we saw the last two years.” (Ebro, 07:44)
• Salsa as metaphor: Ebro gets philosophical about salsa music’s roots (“salsa is Latin soul… flavor and spice”) and the power of historical awareness, saying that “most of you artists out there … you aren’t rooted in anything real. It's just a money grab.” (Ebro, 05:15)

• Reactions from Non-Spanish Speakers

• Laura and Laura Styles point out many non-Spanish speakers are open-minded and used the show to learn.
  • “It’s crazy how proud people are to not speak another language. Meanwhile, all these people in every other country across the world speak multiple languages.” (Laura, 27:44)
• But most critics don’t want to do even minimal intellectual work (“most people are lazy and don't want to do it.” – Laura, 09:08).

• The Megyn Kelly Rant (19:43)**

• The hosts play and dissect Megyn Kelly’s viral anti-Bad Bunny/anti-multicultural halftime rant, finding it reveals deep-seated fears about the “loss” of white American culture and the refusal of “assimilation.”
• Standout Kelly quote:
  • “To get up there and perform the whole show in Spanish is a middle finger to the rest of America ... We don't need a black national anthem. We don't need a Spanish speaking, non-English performing performer.” (Megyn Kelly, 19:43)
• Ebro translates Kelly’s subtext as:
  • “Our imposing, our whiteness, our language, our belief system on everyone else is the code that we're holding on to.” (Ebro, 22:00)
• The team connects Kelly’s rhetoric to broader demographic shifts (play a news clip about minority births now being the majority in the U.S. (24:33)); asserting that this is the true root of such cultural anxiety.
  • “That's the root of the whole thing, man. Like, make no mistake what Megyn Kelly said about. That's why in Britain you've lost your da, da, da, da.” (Ebro, 26:36)

2. Cultural Representation, Learning and Joy

• Laura Styles emphasizes the choice to “stay in the joy” and uplift, sharing an emotional video tribute to Puerto Rican women as the base of their society.
  • “Puerto Rican women have been the blocks of society. We've carried the weight.” (guest video, 28:52)
• The show repeatedly urges listeners to see moments like Bad Bunny’s performance as opportunities for unity and learning, not division.

3. First Reactions: J. Cole Double Album

• Context and Structure

• Ebro explains the double-disc:
  • Disc 29 covers J. Cole at age 30; disc 39, his nearly 40-year-old perspective.
  • “Knowing that, the first time I heard it, I was kind of like, wait, he's talking about back in the day ... Now that I have this lens, I'm listening ... differently.” (Ebro, 36:22)

• Reviews and Process

• Laura Rosenberg critiques the trend of instant album reviews:
  • “That album is 90 minutes long. You had a judgment in 30?” (Laura, 35:09)
• The hosts debate classic double albums (“I think this has the least skips of any two disk I've ever heard.” – Laura, 38:45)
• Rosenberg points out both the reverence for hip-hop history (“he starts the album with James Taylor... Petey Pablo feature…. using the DMX record … a lot of derivativeness…”) and some musical risks J. Cole takes.
• Ebro argues this album is “for the fans,” not for critics (“He doesn't care what you think… If you were not a fan … before this album, he did not make this for you.” – Ebro, 40:23)

4. Other Headlines & Hip-Hop Updates

• Super Bowl Halftime Ratings

• Early viewership estimates place Bad Bunny’s halftime at a record 135.4 million viewers, surpassing Kendrick Lamar (133.5 million).
• Bird’s eye: The show’s global impact may be even larger (“I want worldwide numbers. That’s what I really... want to see.” – Ebro, 49:36)

• Ja Rule vs Tony Yayo & Uncle Murda Airplane Incident**

• Recap of viral footage of Ja Rule sitting in front of Tony Yayo and Uncle Murda on a flight, and resulting tensions.
  • “You hop on a plane and then you're sitting right in front of your ops.” (Laura Styles, 53:44)
• The incident aligns with the launch of a new podcast for Yayo and Murda. The hosts joke about the never-ending G-Unit and Ja Rule beef.

• Diddy Faces New Sexual Assault Allegation

• Diddy is accused by music producer Jonathan Hay of a sexual assault involving a shirt formerly owned by Biggie.
• Laura and Ebro, while cautious, discuss the context of broader abuse scandals (referencing the Epstein files) and the distressing plausibility of such allegations.
• “Everything’s on the table... Like all these papers we got laid out here. Everything’s on the table.” (Ebro, 59:10)

• Other Headlines**

• Briefly acknowledge the passing of Lil Jon’s son (emotionally addressed; 51:44)
• A fun, irreverent segment reading out live YouTube “superchats” and ribbing listeners who ‘tip’ the show for shoutouts (44:40–47:47).

5. Listener Letter: Navigating Racism at a Super Bowl Party

• A listener (“Fought for Life”) upset her fiancé stayed at a party where guests chose to mute Bad Bunny’s set and watch a Kid Rock TPUSA show, signaling discomfort with displays that center non-white cultures.
• The hosts agree she’s overreacting but validate her sense of frustration over casual acts of exclusion.
  • “You just gotta know you tripping. It’s not a burn it down situation.” (Ebro, 70:27)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Salsa is flavor and spice. Salsa is Latin soul.” — Ebro (05:15)
• “The experience of Puerto Ricans is the experience of literally every oppressed minority in the United States.” — Ebro (04:57)
• “To get up there and perform the whole show in Spanish is a middle finger to the rest of America.” — Megyn Kelly (19:43)
• “Our imposing, our whiteness, our language, our belief system on everyone else is the code that we’re holding on to.” — Ebro (22:00)
• “It's crazy how proud people are to not speak another language.” — Laura Rosenberg (27:44)
• “Chris [Brown] has some songs about happiness. Trying to be happy.” — Ebro (10:57)
• “We was woke before woke was co-opted by Republicans.” — Ebro (10:34)
• “I want everybody to pay attention. That's what you should be getting from this. That's what the anger is about.” — Ebro (26:14)
• “If you were not a fan of J. Cole … before this album, he did not make this for you.” — Ebro (40:34)
• “He starts the album with James Taylor. … There had to be some people in the EL Army who heard that James Taylor start the album…” — Laura Rosenberg (41:07)
• “If you look at the last five, [Super Bowl halftime numbers are] all up there. … Beyonce's not up there. Rihanna's up there. Kendrick's up there.” — Laura Rosenberg (50:14)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Bad Bunny hate and Super Bowl analysis: 01:56–21:32
• Megyn Kelly anti-Spanish-language rant & reaction: 19:43–23:46
• United States demographic shifts & news clip: 24:23–26:36
• Community joy, Puerto Rican women tribute (video): 27:09–31:54
• First reactions, J. Cole’s double album: 34:58–44:44
• Super Bowl halftime viewership stats: 48:39–51:40
• Ja Rule, Yayo, Uncle Murda plane drama: 53:30–55:43
• Diddy new assault lawsuit and Epstein context: 56:29–60:52
• Listener advice – racism at a Super Bowl party: 64:22–70:51

Tone and Language

• The hosts blend thoughtful social commentary (especially Ebro’s righteously political framing) with wry humor, irreverence, banter, and insider language typical of tri-state hip-hop radio.
• Language is casual, sometimes profane (“shit,” “bitch,” etc.), but always expressive and passionate.

Conclusion

Episode 33 of The Ebro, Laura, Rosenberg Show is a punchy, culturally urgent episode that uses the Bad Bunny Super Bowl backlash as a springboard for probing big American questions: whose culture gets centered, who feels entitled to critique, and what we all lose when we ignore the chance to learn from each other. It also delivers early, fan-focused J. Cole album analysis and humorously rides the latest in hip-hop news cycles, all while engaging deeply with their community of listeners.