The Joe Budden Podcast

Episode 891 | "The Bane of My Existence"

Release Date: January 3, 2026
Host: Joe Budden and co-hosts (including Ice, Parks, Demona/"Don’t Call Me White Girl", and more)

Episode Overview

The first podcast of 2026 welcomes the New Year with the signature mix of humor, honesty, and chaos from Joe and crew. The group reflects on their New Year celebrations, resolutions, the evolution of the holiday, and current events. They deep-dive into weight-loss medications, the changing landscape of New Year's Eve in NYC, the Drake/Steak lawsuit, generational habits, sexual politics in work and relationships, cultural moments in music, and the yearly “wrap-up” tradition, all while keeping the banter lively and the stories personal.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. New Year Vibes and Ozempi (“Zepbound”) Weight Loss Drug

[03:14 – 09:51]

• Joe reveals he tried the weight-loss medication Ozempi (“Zepbound”), joking about how it instantly suppressed his appetite.
  • "I took a little zap... I'm not gonna hold you, that little—I'm telling you, it's potent and it works." – Joe [05:28]
  • Demona and others share their own experiences with the drug, describing the difficulty eating and its potent effects on desire and energy.
• Debate about the real intended use of the drug, public perceptions, and side effects.

2. How the Crew Spent New Year’s Eve

[10:01 – 19:59]

• Most chose to stay home or host intimate gatherings, reflecting a shift from wild parties to peace and comfort.

  • "This is the first time I think I've ever gone to sleep before, like, the ball drop." – Ice [17:54]

• Conversation detours into unexpected New Year’s Eve commotion, including random neighborhood fireworks/gunfire.

3. Changing Culture of New Year's Eve & Urban Paranoia

[23:39 – 27:46]

• Recap of New Year’s TV coverage feeling lackluster and NYC’s Times Square losing its traditional cachet.

  • "The rest of the world is whooping our ass in New Year's Eve celebrations... New York look bland as hell." – Ice [25:30]

• Anxiety about large crowds post-COVID and ongoing societal unpredictability. Most agree they now prefer “in-the-house” celebrations and see NYE as less safe and glamorous.

4. Goals and Resolutions for 2026

[29:40 – 34:49]

• Financial wellness and debt-freedom are a common goal.
• Others focus on fitness, strength-building, building new habits, and "writing it down."
  • “I never thought resolutions were corny. I like the energy of ‘it’s a brand new year’... I’m writing all my shit down.” – Demona [31:34]
• Joe wants to work on brain/body health and (comically) going on a cruise for the first time.

5. Cruises: Fear, Fun, and Black People on Boats

[35:01 – 38:48]

• Crew debates the merits and fears of cruises. Ice extols cruise life, while Joe and others express suspicions and concerns about being stranded or targeted at sea.
  • "If I'm gonna do a boat, put some luxury on the boat." – Joe [36:06]

6. The Steak, Drake & Aiden Ross RICO Lawsuit

[40:20 – 47:03]

• Breakdown of the civil RICO case accusing Drake, Steak (gambling platform), Aiden Ross, and others of facilitating money transfers to boost streaming numbers, misleading consumers with "house money" betting, and circumventing US gambling regulations.
  • “They’re saying they’re misleading people into thinking it’s real money, but it’s all house money.” – Ice [43:31]
• The consensus: big checks may get paid, but individual users may see little; most see it as the latest cat-and-mouse, with regulators playing catch-up.
  • Notable admonition: “You ain't hustling on this block... Not under that set of rules.” – Ice [47:09]

7. Spirituality and New Year Traditions

[51:26 – 52:32]

• Debate about prayer at New Year's—Joe is adamant about praying at midnight, while the crew jokes about how/when they include spirituality.
  • “It is never a bad time to pray... Even in fake calendar time.” – Joe [52:11]
• Extended comedic riff on "Pastor Joe" leading the club in prayer.

8. Generational Relationships, Social Media, and "Moving Around"

[55:56 – 68:47]

• Jokes about younger generations, knowing people through family connections, and the influence of parents’ behavior on children.
  • “If your parents grew up worshipping Birkin bags and Benzes... you as a kid put that to the highest level of priority.” – Ice [59:05]
• The Diggs brothers (NFL) come up—Joe and crew debate "running around" as rich, attractive men, hiring attractive assistants, and responsibly managing male/female workplace relationships.

9. Music Recap: The Doechii/Scissor Single & End-of-Year "Wrap Ups"

[79:27 – 87:53]

• High praise for Doechii’s rise and her new collab with SZA.
  • Demona: “I haven’t seen anything like her since Missy... she’s supposed to move up quick.” [82:12]
  • Ice notes some criticisms come from people unaware of her backstory or assuming she's an "industry plant"—debunked by her real grind.
• Annual tradition: Uncle Murda vs. Skills "year wrap-up" tracks reviewed. Uncle Murda’s is comedic and relentless, Skills’ is more somber and reflective.
  • “If we never got another wrap up... at some point they should end. I want those to end before I die.” – Joe [96:24]

10. Advice Segment: Broken Trust Between Friends

[177:37 – 188:31]

• Listener writes in: Should he have told his best friend about another friend's affair with the friend’s baby mom?
  • Consensus: It depends heavily on understanding the friend's preferences ("do you want to know?"). In most cases, best to mind your business unless someone explicitly wants the truth. Revealing the info usually changes or ends the friendship, regardless of intentions.

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

Ozempi:

"I took a little zap... I'm not gonna hold you...took me a little, did that. I ain’t ate since, that sh*t different, bro." — Joe Budden [05:28]

New Year's Shift in NYC:

“The rest of the world is whooping our ass in New Year's Eve celebrations... New York look bland as hell.” — Ice [25:30]

Prayer and New Year's:

“It is never a bad time to pray... Even in fake calendar time.” — Joe [52:11] “I'm in the club and I prayed for y’all.” — Joe [53:18]

Industry Plant Discourse:

"She’s supposed to move up quick... she’s creative, she come up with her own shit... anything other than that is disrespectful to the hard work she put in." — Demona [82:12]

Drake, Gambling & Internet:

“They’re saying they’re misleading people into thinking it’s real money, but it’s all house money.” — Ice [43:31] "You ain't hustling on this block... Not under that set of rules." — Ice [47:09]

Loyalty and Telling on Cheaters:

“A rule of thumb is to mind your business unless you know that’s what they expect from you as a friend.” — Demona [181:15] “Once I let the know the first time, and he keep staying with you, I’m out.” — Ice [185:03]

Social Media & “Threads” Roast:

“You’re too old to thread now.” — Demona, to Ice [137:07]

Timestamps of Important Segments

• Weight-loss medication & New Year’s reflections: 03:14–09:51
• New Year’s Eve: How everyone spent it: 10:01–19:59
• NYE culture shift, public anxiety: 23:39–27:46
• NY resolutions, health, finance, cruises: 29:40–38:48
• Drake/Steak/Aiden Ross lawsuit explained: 40:20–47:03
• Prayer and spiritual talk: 51:26–54:41
• Generational “moving around” discussion (Diggs story): 55:56–68:47
• Music: Doechii/SZA, Wrap-Ups (Murda/Skills): 79:27–98:01
• Advice: Loyalty between friends: 177:37–188:31

Tone & Language

Episode is classic JBP: opinionated, spontaneous, irreverent, and comedic with candid—sometimes explicit—language. The group roasts each other, debates hot takes, and is unafraid to delve into difficult topics with honesty and vulnerability, punctuated by running jokes and cultural references.

Closing

The episode ends with encouragement to the audience to try something new in the new year, a promise of more jokes and realness to come, and the usual blend of wisecracks and tongue-in-cheek wisdom.

“Try something different this year. Do something different than you did last year, man.” — Joe [189:33]