The Joe Budden Podcast

Episode 871 | "Vehemently Disagreeing…."

Release Date: October 22, 2025
Host: Joe Budden
Co-Hosts/Regulars: Ice, Ish, Parks, Mark Lamont Hill, Flip, Mona (“Don’t Call Me White Girl”)
Produced by: The Joe Budden Network

Brief Overview

Episode 871 sees Joe Budden and his eclectic crew diving deep into friendship dynamics, relationship pride, mental health in hip-hop, pop culture, and the messy overlap of celebrity and social media. There is lively banter about family, handling disagreements with loved ones, the weirdness of internet and delivery culture, and thoughtful discussions about recent news events (including the J.Lo "never loved" controversy, Tyler the Creator's old tweets, and an audacious heist at the Louvre). The episode is full of their signature humor, inside jokes, and real vulnerability.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introductions & Vibes (00:48–10:00)

• The crew jokes about their matching “Orange Memo” outfits and playfully roast each other's style.
• Discussion on turning 50, making fashion choices, and the resurgence of New Balance as a “jiggy dad” brand.
• Memorable moment: Joe threatens to walk out if anyone’s wearing New Balance boxer briefs.

  “If you got New Balance boxer briefs on, I will walk smooth out this podcast.” — Joe (03:26)

2. Bike Lanes and City Frustrations (05:11–08:10)

• Joe rants about new bike lanes in the city, mixed feelings about city infrastructure, and annoying aggressive cyclists.

  "Sometimes it would feel so good to hit one of them dudes... I wanted to write the mayor. And then I was like, damn, come on, Joe. Check yourself." (05:52)

3. Social Media Presence & Relationship Disappearances (09:00–10:00)

• The crew teases each other about going “ghost” in the first few months of new relationships.
• Mona pushes back: “We acknowledge that you're in a relationship. But you just do slick shit to get outside.” (09:38)

4. The Power of Contracts & Creative Flexibility (24:37–33:03)

• Discussion on the tension between short-term and long-term deals in creative industries.
• Mark shares his experience with BET: "I had a one year deal with BET for 12 years...Every six months was negotiation time." (27:01)
• They debate whether it’s possible (or even expected) to maintain or exceed performance over a multi-year contract.

5. Pride, Partnership, & Relationship “Vehement Disagreement” (39:50–47:58)

• Joe and Parks reveal they both brought “beef” with their partners to Parks’ birthday party, describing how hard it can be to “fake it” in public.

  "We vehemently disagree about a topic that we're both passionate about. Now we're at my man's birthday party in the thick of it, boy." — Joe (41:12)

• Candid talk about cuddling/making up after arguments, holding grudges, and navigating pride dynamics in relationships.

  "I'm tighter…And it's totally my fault." — Joe (44:10)

6. Social Media Sneakiness, “Finstas,” and Instagram Drama (45:23–47:40)

• The group gets into using fake profiles (“Finstas”) to watch IG Lives without being noticed, and the shame/fear of being “caught” watching messy content.

7. Ashanti Body-shaming Discourse (52:10–53:55)

• They question if social media’s “body positivity” narrative mirrors reality. The consensus: Ashanti looks great, and the internet was looking for a fight where none existed.

8. Trump Pardons & Would You “Play Ball”? (54:05–59:05)

• Trump’s rumored plans to pardon Diddy spark debate: Would any of them publicly support Trump to get out of prison early?

  “For 60 months? Not for 60 months, it ain’t.” — Mona (55:13) “Y’all niggas crazy. I will get up out that bitch, act like this is Faith singing in the rain. I changed my last name to Trump.” — Ice (55:43)

• The group splits on choosing between “doing time” and sacrificing personal/family ethics for public embarrassment.

9. The Politics of Critique: Kids in the Spotlight (99:23–103:14)

• They hash out if it’s fair to critique a celebrity’s child (i.e., LeBron’s son), agreeing it crosses a line if used as a proxy for beef with the parent.

  “Don’t use my son to shoot at me...I think that's corny.” — Joe (102:54)

10. Russell Westbrook, LeBron, and NBA Authenticity (103:14–106:59)

• They reflect on reports that Russell Westbrook viewed LeBron as “inauthentic” — does brand management mean someone’s fake?

11. Vulnerability and Mental Health in Hip-Hop: Gucci Mane & Keisha (77:40–85:20)

• They praise Gucci Mane and his partner for transparency around managing mental illness (schizophrenia) in their relationship, describing it as a model of real partnership even in a high-profile life.

  “When a man that’s rich exhibits that level of vulnerability with his wife? I think that shit is fire.” — Ice (80:32)

12. Delivery App Wildness: The DoorDash “Naked Man” Story (130:38–141:21)

• Recap of a viral story: A DoorDash driver posted footage of a naked customer, claiming harassment, but lost her account for posting the footage (and his info) online.
• They debate consent, privacy, and the pressure to monetize every incident on social media.

  “That's where the other problem is today. It's run straight to the Internet...Not running to the Internet to expose what you saw.” — Ice (138:50)

13. Nuisance Neighbors & “The Perfect Neighbor” Doc (146:08–151:56)

• Reactions to the new Netflix doc about AJ Owens — a Black woman killed by a white neighbor.
• Calls for a public “shitty neighbor registry,” and stories about conflict with strange or aggressive neighbors.

14. Culture, Hygiene, & Halloween Traditions (117:58–124:34)

• Intense, funny dialogue on why some on the panel hate trick-or-treating — “It’s disgusting, it’s dangerous, it’s demonic.”
• Side discussion on cultural differences in cleanliness, notably between Black and white families.

15. Fixing Boston Market and the Death of the Mall (170:09–174:46)

• The crew brainstorms how to save Boston Market (take “Boston” off; rebrand for family), and muses on the mall’s demise — should some businesses simply be let go?

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On old relationships:
  “We've been broke up 25 years, Aki. Get over it.” — Ice (66:30), about J.Lo’s exes still speaking out.

• On pride and relationships:
  “I let the whole building burn down. I operate better in the burning building than you do.” — Joe (87:49)

• On supporting your partner with mental illness:
  “If I'm falling off the ledge, I'm going to submit to you to do everything you think is good for us and myself.” — Ice (80:42)

• On trick-or-treating:
  “The whole country just shut down because [people] won’t wash their hands. Now y’all want my kids to knock on strangers’ doors?” — Mona (119:10)

• Joe on kids’ play spaces:
  “I am judging my kid for going to Kids Empire without another kid friend and having fun.” — Joe (125:14)

• On the Louvre heist:
  “France…you robbed everybody to get everything in there.” — Mark (164:54)

Important Timestamps

• [24:37–33:03] — Deep dive on contract length, loyalty, and creator anxiety
• [39:50–47:58] — The “vehement disagreement” about relationships and pride
• [52:10–53:55] — The Ashanti body-shaming episode
• [54:05–59:05] — Trump, pardons, and how far you’d go to get out of jail
• [77:40–85:20] — Gucci Mane & Keisha — mental health, marriage, and true partnership
• [146:08–151:56] — Review of 'The Perfect Neighbor' doc & discussion about neighbor disputes
• [130:38–141:21] — The DoorDash story, privacy, and posting for clout

Tone & Language

The conversation is raw, casual, and irreverent, often explicit but occasionally deeply insightful or emotional. There’s a constant current of friendly roasting, but whenever the tone dips into heavier territory — be it about relationships, death, or injustice — the crew manages to be reflective and sometimes profound while never losing their sense of humor.

Episode Takeaways

• Long-term relationships (at work and at home) require flexibility, transparency, and self-awareness about pride.
• Criticizing people — especially public figures’ families — is a line that matters, and can reveal deeper resentments.
• In hip-hop, openness about mental health is rare and highly valued by the group.
• Social media culture (and the urge to monetize everyday drama) is seen as both ridiculous and harmful.
• The internet loves to look for outrage, even when everyone is happy (see: Ashanti).
• Neighborhood beef and cultural divides — whether about hygiene, holidays, or property lines — are both hilarious and genuinely dangerous at times.
• The hustle to “save” failing institutions (like Boston Market or malls) rarely considers whether they’re really worth saving.

For listeners who missed the episode:
This was a classic JBP episode — packed with jokes, passionate arguments, occasional reflection, and the organic chemistry that makes this crew unique. Whether debating whether to support Trump for a pardon, whether we ever really outgrow old beef, how soon you should apologize, or what defines a “good neighbor,” the team covers the serious, the silly, and everything in between.

Skip time? Anytime they get distracted by technical production, inside jokes, or mark the ad reads — main content resumes quickly.