The Joe Budden Podcast
Episode 873 | "Crack Ain't Spicy"
Date: October 29, 2025
Host: Joe Budden
Panel: Big Parks, Dr. Mark Lamont Hill, Corey, and others
Episode Overview
Episode 873 is packed with the crew’s signature blend of banter, deep dives on hip-hop culture, social commentary, music reviews, and all-out randomness. Topics fly from self-care habits and generational habits, to hip-hop Versus recaps, sports, engagement traditions, and even the economics of modern strip clubs and sex work. Highlights include a detailed, passionate breakdown of the Cash Money vs No Limit Versus, honest (and at times, hilarious) conversations about love, marriage, and gender roles, and multiple standout moments in music and sports. The tone swings wildly from playful and chaotic to reflective and insightful, locking in the long-time fans and newcomers alike.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Self-Care, Showers, & Lotion Culture Wars
[00:31–07:00]
- The episode opens with a playful debate about shower routines—specifically, if men lather their legs and the cultural (often racial) implications.
- Big Parks claims he doesn’t use lotion—Joe clowns him, suggesting it’s because "he started messing with white girls."
- Dr. Mark Lamont Hill chimes in, clarifying "lathering" is with soap, not lotion; Joe learns he’s been using the word wrong.
- Extended riffs on the kinds of products Joe uses, with jokes about “French lotion” vs. classic Vaseline.
- The crew pokes fun at Parks for only using lotion since podcasting.
“That’s one of the problems, f*cking with them white girls. No, you be in the house just feeling like you could do without lotion.” — Joe Budden [04:12]
2. Campus Etiquette, Homecomings, & Generational Stories
[05:00–10:00]
- Dr. Mark Lamont Hill recounts his recent trip to Virginia State University; the guys joke about being the "old heads" at homecoming.
- Joe and Parks reminisce about college days, revealing a desire to "go back" to school now that they're older and successful.
- Light jabs about honorary rap “doctorates” and Angela Rye coming for Joe.
“Everything that I left school and told them motherf*ckers I was going to do, and they all laughed at me— I did it.” — Joe Budden [09:12]
3. Engagement Traditions & Relationship Chatter
[28:55–37:00]
- A recurring theme: The gender imbalance in engagement customs. Why only women get engagement rings? Should men have a symbol—like a watch or ring—to show they’re “off the market”?
- The group debates engagement watches versus rings, ultimately cracking up at the notion that men deserve some kind of visible, official sign, too.
- Discussions about upgrading rings, wedding band shopping, and who really makes those choices in modern relationships.
"I'm changing that—I need a ring too!" — Joe Budden [32:11]
"Rings is dope... I think it should be a ring." — Big Parks [31:48]
4. The Versus Breakdown: Cash Money vs No Limit
[44:23–73:33]
- Major centerpiece of the episode: An electric, detailed review of the Versus battle between Cash Money and No Limit at ComplexCon in Vegas.
- Conflicting views about whether the Vegas crowd was the right fit—Joe thought the audience energy was lacking, others (esp. Parks) felt it was impressive.
- Historic Moment: Master P and Birdman dapping each other up onstage. The hosts argue just how significant this peace is in Southern hip-hop history.
- The team highlights standout performers, especially Juvenile, Mia X, and Snoop’s cameo. They also lament Lil Wayne’s notable absence and how it impacted Cash Money’s standing.
- Discussions: Song choices, battle strategies, the impact of limiting the set to 12 songs, the changing legacy of both labels, and their influence on today’s music.
“Cash Money’s done a great job with everything, and we have a very good understanding of everyone in Cash Money and not so much in No Limit.” — Joe Budden [67:28]
"You can't do I Need a Hot Girl without the Wayne and Turk verse—that’s the verse of the song." — Big Parks [60:33]
“If you missed ‘Bout It, Bout It’ in real life in 1997, it’s everything they say it was.” — Joe Budden [73:33]
5. Powerball Tickets, Rich People Ethics, & Friendship
[36:33–44:23]
- Joe jokes about who should be allowed to participate in company Powerball ticket pools ("Joe, you already hit the Powerball…that’s what I’m saying!").
- Mark takes an unexpectedly serious stance, saying wealthy people shouldn’t buy lottery tickets, much to Joe’s mock outrage.
- The segment highlights the recurring theme of "friendship vs. money" on the show.
6. Sports: Otani the Cheat Code, Yankees, & Black QBs
[87:53–98:55]
- The panel discusses Shohei Ohtani’s astonishing multi-sport dominance (“cheat code”), then touch on Yankees pride, marathon baseball games, and the Blue Jays’ playoff resurgence.
- A provocative segment on racial biases in quarterbacking: Mark confesses to his own “work in progress” unlearning regarding trust in black quarterbacks vs. white, sparking both laughter and serious debate about societal conditioning.
"Modern-day slavery. I don't actually think white men are better at leading. But that's the logic I have to unlearn." — Dr. Mark Lamont Hill [97:16]
7. Social & Economic Commentary
[147:29–155:01]
- The crew reviews Cardi B’s statement about the collapsing “price of box” (sex work) in today’s economy, connecting it to handbag resale and high fashion as status markers.
- They riff about Chanel bag prices, dating during inflation, and how social status comes with shifting financial burdens in modern relationships.
"I totally agree with her—I’ve always said you can tell which way the world is going by what the underworld is doing." — Joe Budden [149:12]
8. News: ICE Raids, Brooklyn Home Losses, and Politics
[133:30–146:15]
- ICE Agents at Dallas Strip Clubs: The squad reacts to news of ICE raids causing panic at clubs, discussion shifts to immigration, club closures, and how strip club culture intersects with politics.
- Government Seizure of Homes: Dr. Hill spotlights a Brooklyn man losing his home over a water bill. Ish jokes about white men buying tax liens, the group reflects on systemic scams targeting Black homeowners.
- Kamala Harris & Presidential Prospects: Extended debate on issues of charisma, gender, and electability in politics; Mark plugs his Patreon explainer on why Kamala may not be the right candidate.
“Charisma plays a part... Trump reaches people, Obama was charismatic—Hillary, not so much. That’s a big part of winning.” — Big Parks [143:16]
9. Music Talk: New Releases, “Sleeper” Picks & More
[109:10–204:30]
- New Music Corner: Joe and Parks highlight new Lil Baby x G-Herbo, discuss Wale’s latest, and give major props to a new Dave album ("My 27th Birthday" is played in part and praised for lyricism and storytelling).
- Sleeper Picks Return: The group brings back their beloved sleeper segment, featuring music from Sasha Keeble, Wale, Dave, Black Thought & Danger Mouse, and Pete Bailey. Emotional and musical highpoint.
- Riffing on Accents and AI Album Art: The squad jokes about British rap—lyrics vs. accents in rap music.
10. Gender Roles, Modern Love, & Summer Walker
[157:09–161:59]
- In light of viral Summer Walker comments (“men are supposed to provide—when you go broke, I will leave”), the cast debates expectations in modern relationships, transactional dating, and female empowerment.
- Joe and Parks recall the podcast’s influence on their relationships—and whether “subtle hints” actually work on men.
“Ladies, if you try to ride or die, you will, in fact, die!” — Joe Budden [158:22]
11. Listener Letters & Meta Discourse
[171:08–185:04]
- Joe reads and reacts to several long fan emails—one critiques Stephen A. Smith’s coverage of Bronny James, sparking a detailed discussion about ethics of sports criticism, nepotism, and legacy.
- Another letter inquires about what narratives the co-hosts would “want” about themselves, prompting amusing meta-commentary on the chaos and organic storytelling style of the pod.
12. End-of-Episode Vibes: Community, Plugs, and “Sleepers”
[209:01–end]
- Closing shout-outs, upcoming appearances, and event plugs (Mark to Mississippi, others teasing travel or home viewing).
- The signature “life is a series of moments” outro, musical coda, and camaraderie to wrap.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Lotion, Regimen & Dating Outside the Culture:
“We gotta be careful with certain shit with mixing cultures.” – Joe Budden [04:34] -
On Versus Crowd: “I'm booing the crowd…no matter what you thought of that crowd, once that battle started, you felt like New Orleans deserved this.” — Joe Budden [48:03]
-
On Summer Walker’s Viral Comments:
“Ladies, if you try to ride or die, you will in fact, die.” — Joe Budden [158:22] -
On Black QBs and Conditioning:
“It's that little bit of white supremacy we hold on to... with the quarterback, that's some shit I had to work through.” — Dr. Mark Lamont Hill [98:01] -
On Cardi & Sex Work Economy:
“I can always tell which way the world is going by what the underworld is doing.” — Joe Budden [149:12] -
On Podcast Chemistry:
“Working with your friends. Like, what more you want to ask God for?” — Joe Budden [09:25]
Useful Timestamps
- Lotion/Grooming Culture: 00:31–07:00
- Engagement Ring for Men: 28:55–37:00
- Versus Recap: 44:23–73:33
- Sports/Ohtani/Yankees: 87:53–98:55
- Strip Clubs & ICE: 133:30–137:16
- Brooklyn Home Losses: 137:39–139:14
- Kamala Harris/Politics: 139:37–142:44
- Cardi B & Sex Work Economy: 147:29–155:01
- Sleeper Songs Segment: 186:20–204:30
- Fan Letters (Stephen A/Bronny): 171:08–183:09
Episode Tone & Flow
Across three hours, the crew keeps laughter and wild honesty at the forefront; they’re unfiltered, generous with each other, and wide-ranging in subject matter. Joe acts as the neuroscientist of conversation—prodding, trolling, or pausing for teachable moments whenever the energy spikes. This episode, especially, showcases their ability to bounce between silly and serious while keeping music and culture front-and-center.
If you missed the episode, don’t sweat—a perfect blend of “bullshit nonsense” and real-life wisdom, this week offered hip-hop history, social critique, relationship therapy, new music picks, and another classic showing from the Joe Budden squad.