The Joe Budden Podcast

Episode 890 | "Living Righteously"

Date: December 31, 2025
Host: Joe Budden
Co-hosts: Parks, Ish, Flip
Network: The Joe Budden Network

Episode Overview

The final episode of 2025 finds Joe Budden and crew reflecting on the year and discussing topics around living righteously as they approach 2026. With their trademark humor and candidness, the hosts dive into relationships, digital clean-up, holiday traditions, music beefs, and cultural news, giving out equal parts life advice, music critique, and comedic banter.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Living Righteously Going into 2026

Time stamps: 02:23–08:30

• Theme Introduction: The idea of "living righteously" is the episode’s philosophical current. Joe expresses a desire to shift towards more positive choices, refraining from giving unnecessary explanations for his life decisions.
  • “I'mma live righteously. Yeah. It's a balancing act.” – Joe Budden [02:23]
• They joke about unfollowing Instagram “distractions” and cleaning up their digital lives as part of this new righteous approach.
  • “Unfollowing all these hoes on the ‘gram... part of getting your life together is cleaning up your digital space.” – Joe Budden [07:11, 08:15]

2. Relationship Double-Standards & Explanations

Time stamps: 01:42–06:45

• Joe, Ish, Parks, and Flip discuss the tendency for men to avoid explaining their actions in relationships, leading to comedic anecdotes and debate on transparency versus privacy.
  • “I'm done explaining. I'm not explaining nothing.” – Joe Budden [04:46]
• They joke about the double standard of men refusing to answer questions, but freely asking their partners anything.
  • “I told my wife I'm not answering no questions, but I'm going to ask you questions.” – Parks [04:03]

3. Domestic Life and Sick Partners

Time stamps: 06:45–07:59

• Discussion around how to handle a sick partner—whether to care for them or avoid them (with masks and sleeping in another room).
  • “If one of us is sick, one of us is sleeping somewhere else.” – Flip [06:24]
• Joe takes a more balanced approach, saying he’ll leave medicine and come home early but won’t miss important events.

4. Holiday Reflections

Time stamps: 33:01–47:01

• The crew shares how they celebrated Christmas and reflects on the importance of family, traditions, and setting boundaries.
  • “This was the first time since my daughter was one that she woke up with me on Christmas.” – Ish [33:04]
• Discussion of breaking family traditions as you grow older and create new immediate family customs.
  • “When you have your own family, it becomes you're not doing it intentionally... you start building your own tradition.” – Parks [39:27]
• Realizations about reassessing social circles and boundaries for the new year.
  • “There are levels to where I'm trying to go and levels to where they're trying to go. Everybody can't go.” – Parks [36:41]

5. Rap Beef: Mayno, Jim Jones, Dave East & Fabolous Respond to 50 Cent

Time stamps: 47:09–69:46

• The hosts break down the “Let’s Rap About It” podcast crew's response tracks to 50 Cent’s criticisms, playing and analyzing each freestyle.
  • “That was a great way to get equity out of a 16, 24, or 32… it's a cheat code, absolutely fire.” – Joe Budden [52:36]
• Fabolous’ verse is widely praised.
  • “Fab got a lot more direct than the rest of them… this boy sound like ghetto fab.” – Joe Budden [60:24]
• Commentary extends to how podcasting rappers (and vice versa) are shifting hip-hop’s media landscape.

Memorable Quotes from Freestyle Analysis

• “How you got brolic but not solid? And they trying to pull cards like we ain’t got wallets.” – Joe reciting Fabolous’ bar [62:09]
• “I like the trend of podcasters rapping, or rappers podcasting… If you can rap and you podcast, you should still rap.” – Joe Budden [65:16]

6. Cultural News and Debates

Puff Daddy’s Sons’ Zeus Documentary

Time stamps: 80:46–98:09

• The panel debates Justin and Christian Combs’ upcoming mini-series airing on Zeus about the Puff trial.
  • "I cannot believe that this is happening." – Joe Budden [81:20]
• Joe argues it’s a bad idea, unlikely to redeem Puff’s public perception and possibly further damaging his sons’ reputations.
  • “Nothing good is coming from this. This could not be a worse idea at a worse time.” – Joe Budden [84:07]
• Others (Ish, Flip) counter that giving the family a chance to tell their side isn’t inherently wrong.
  • “We should hear the other side.” – Flip [81:26]
  • Final consensus: overwhelmingly negative public reception predicted; only Zeus wins.

Tyler Perry Accusations

Time stamps: 129:01–143:16

• Discussion about new allegations against Tyler Perry of sexual misconduct.
• Humor and skepticism mix with a “wait for the facts” approach:
  • “Do y’all think that Tyler Perry is running around grabbing dudes by the dick maybe and offering them scripts maybe?” – Joe Budden [132:22]
  • “Both things could be true.” – Flip [133:00]

7. Kai Cenat’s Public Breakup and Relationship Advice

Time stamps: 101:27–124:39

• Kai Cenat tweets about heartbreak; the hosts reflect on how devastating young, first love breakups can be—especially in the public eye.
  • “24… That’s the time that immediately rid me of any take I was coming in here to say about Kai Cenat’s breakup.” – Joe Budden [102:46]
• Advice ranges from “Don’t do public relationships” to tongue-in-cheek encouragement to get “under a bunch of new girls” (though admitting this rarely helps emotionally).
• Insightful, compassionate segment on young public figures and heartbreak: “Yo, heartbreak is a thing, bro.” – Ish [113:41]

8. Personal Goals and 2026 Resolutions

Time stamps: 189:33–197:15

• Each host shares their goals for the coming year. Themes include:
  • Physical health and hitting the gym (“I want to be more physically fit… you start getting older, you start feeling that, dog” — Ish [190:36])
  • Continuing positive routines, learning new things, and “getting uncomfortable.”
  • Reflection on gratitude and thanks for listeners: “All I got is thank you. Word.” – Joe Budden [196:02]
• Encouragement to clean up one’s literal and metaphorical space for 2026.

9. Lighter Segments & Running Jokes

• Tradition of roasting Ice for coming to the studio without a shape-up [12:51–15:55]
• Banter over Mac vs. HP laptops and anti-Apple people [17:07–19:32]
• Humorous exchanges about serial killer rumors, sleepy stickers "drugging" kids at daycare, and bizarre memes [153:52–170:51]

Notable Quotes

"Part of getting your life together is cleaning up your digital space."
Joe Budden [08:15]

"When you have your own family, you start building your own tradition."
Parks [39:27]

"Yo, heartbreak is a thing, bro."
Ish [113:41]

"Unfollowing all these hoes on the ‘gram… look at this atrocity off my page… get all the porn off my frequency."
Joe Budden [07:09]

"Some battles ain’t for our kids. They for us."
Joe Budden [100:59]

Important Segment Timestamps

• Living Righteously Theme/Resolutions: 02:23–08:30
• Relationship Explanations/Double Standards: 01:42–06:45
• Holiday Reflections/Traditions: 33:01–47:01
• Hip-Hop Beef (Let’s Rap About It): 47:09–69:46
• Puff Docuseries Debate: 80:46–98:09
• Tyler Perry Allegations Segment: 129:01–143:16
• Kai Cenat Breakup, Relationship Advice: 101:27–124:39
• Personal Goals for 2026: 189:33–197:15

Closing Sentiment

The hosts close the year expressing gratitude, growth, and blessings, underscoring their commitment to self-improvement, family, and authentic living in 2026. They urge listeners to stay safe, reflect, and live righteously — with the same sharp wit and heart that carried them through another year of the JBP.

“Remember, life is a series of moments, and moments pass. So let’s make this one last as if it’s all we have.”
— Joe Budden [202:20]

Happy New Year from the Joe Budden Podcast!