The Joe Budden Podcast

Episode 898 | "Revenge Served Cold"
Date: January 28, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode delivers the classic, hilarious and sometimes intense energy that defines The Joe Budden Podcast. Joe is joined by friends and colleagues—including Dr. Mark Lamont Hill, Ice, Freeze, Bender, and others—for wide-ranging discussions that touch on snowstorm struggles, fatherhood, friendships, morality, celebrity apologies, musical legacy, income realities, and current events. The main theme running throughout the episode is accountability: in personal lives, in hip hop, in wealth, and notably in the wake of the week’s national news around policing and immigration.

Notable Discussion Points

1. Blizzard Survival & Parenting Struggles

Timestamps: 00:30 – 16:00

• The crew trades comedic stories about their snowed-in weekends, parenting under duress, last-minute shopping, Uber delivery woes, and impromptu kitchen improvisations.
• Joe discusses being eaten "out of house and home" by his son during the snow day:

  "You name it. Quaker Oatmeal, Chex, anything you could find… it's all gone. … We've eaten everything in here. Everything I have to offer this little is gone." (13:51)

• The group reflects on the humble, pragmatic skills learned in poverty, showcased in emergency cooking situations.

2. Eyebrow Grooming and Masculinity

Timestamps: 00:28 – 03:15

• Light-hearted banter questioning whether any of the guys have had their eyebrows done, triggering jokes about masculinity, bullying, and self-care:

  Freeze: "Yeah, my eyebrows done. I'm not afraid to say it." (01:42)

3. Freedom, Marriages, and Living Vicariously

Timestamps: 03:15 – 04:45

• Freeze boasts about still enjoying more social freedom than Joe, leading to relatable (and comical) talk about marriages, home lives, and living vicariously through friends.
• Joe pushes back:

  "You're not gonna trick me into being divisive… Into exhibiting all these characteristics that I don't even think is fly at this age, man." (04:30)

4. Tracy Morgan vs. Old Friend: Morality & Revenge

Timestamps: 25:41 – 40:02

The Incident:

• Tracy Morgan is confronted by an old friend (now homeless) outside a Knicks game; the friend asks for help, but Tracy rebuffs him—reminding him how poorly he treated Tracy when they were younger.

Perspectives:

• The hosts debate whether Tracy’s reaction is petty or justified.

  Dr. Mark Lamont Hill: "There is something satisfying about revenge when it's served cold. So I do get it, but we gotta be better than that." (34:22)

• Joe considers it unmanly to act on “revenge emotion”:

  "I feel like you should be able to get to somewhere that doesn't land on revenge." (36:18)

• The complexity of apologies, grudges, and forgiveness is examined, with personal stories (Mark’s college roommate, etc.) illustrating how long past slights haunt or shape individuals.
• Final consensus: It’s better to take the high road, but the visceral urge for revenge is relatable.

5. Money, Wealth Mindset & Social Perception

Timestamps: 42:46 – 54:58

• Joe reads aloud a breakdown of income brackets, "wealth ladders," and what different income levels mean for lifestyle, psychology, and friendship/family tensions.
• The group comments on how “wealth” is often relative; asset-based wealth vs. income-based “rich.”
• Notable quote:

  "Preservation replaces accumulation. Control matters more than growth. This is where perspective changes." (50:11)

• Dr. Mark Lamont Hill plugs Black Marxism (by Cedric Robinson) as recommended further reading (166:37).

6. Helping the Homeless: Motives, Judgment, and Street Life

Timestamps: 54:51 – 58:13

• The podcast candidly debates whether to give money directly to the homeless, referencing drug addiction, street experience, and moral conflict.

  Mark: "If you were in the game… people who buy crack and heroin gonna get crack and heroin whether you give it to them or not… I might be stopping them from knocking somebody in the head." (56:09)

• The “food not cash” debate surfaces, with multiple perspectives presented.

7. Jim Jones vs. Kid Cudi & the ‘Day and Night’ Origin Story

Timestamps: 58:41 – 71:24

• Jim Jones claims he made Kid Cudi’s career by jumping on the "Day and Night" remix. Internet debates ensue.
• Group agrees Jim Jones gave the song more energy in NYC, but Cudi was already bubbling—ultimately, both perspectives can be true, but neither made nor broke the record solely.

Joe: "…anybody that is going to come add two, three, four…a hundred thousand spins to your [Billboard Data System]… that’s not regional help, that’s not New York City help." (71:13)

8. Kanye West’s Apology & Public Sincerity

Timestamps: 79:15 – 96:55

• Mark and several co-hosts discuss Ye’s lengthy new apology (published in the Wall Street Journal) for his anti-Semitic and anti-Black remarks.
• The group debates whether this apology signals true change or is just a marketing tactic due to lost status/endorsements.
• Mark points out this is the first time in a while Ye’s apology doesn’t demand forgiveness and fully acknowledges both mental illness and wronging the Black community.

  "He wasn't asking for a free pass… I'm asking for patience." (81:48)

• Ice: "I just believe people be full of shit, bro…especially when they've seen it work." (85:32)
• Joe: "I'm not about to rack my brain with: are you lying? Are you being honest? …I don't—no, not today. I'm praying for you, dog. That's the extent of where I'm going with this." (88:09)

9. Hip Hop’s Silence Amid Injustice (Minneapolis, ICE, and Race)

Timestamps: 140:30 – 170:47

• Joe passionately calls out hip hop’s current generation for silence in the face of blatant abuses of power—especially regarding ICE, immigration raids, the recent Minneapolis police killing, and the general rollback of civil rights under recent and current administrations.
• The group debates whether hip hop (and Black America) should feel compelled to protest when the latest police violence targets non-Black people.

  Joe: "Y’alls hip hop is scared, timid, afraid, down, complicit. Just a bunch of bums. But you want to fight for music rights and not no human rights. You are disgusting." (153:09)

• Mark emphasizes the loss of radical/activist leadership in hip hop.
• Real-life stakes are discussed—a friend detained, threats to immigrant families, the inescapability of state violence regardless of "status."
• The group laments broad trends toward selective outrage and decreasing political consciousness in rap and sports culture.

10. Other Key Topics & Memorable Moments

• Netflix’s Alex Honnold Climbing Stunt (102:10–112:17):
  Joe and crew marvel at Alex’s free-solo climb of Taipei 101, question live-stream liability and compensation, and discuss thrill-seeking psychology.
• Chad Hugo Sues Pharrell (171:01–178:25):
  The Neptunes split comes to a head over unpaid royalties; the group breaks down the business, pride, and artistry lost to money issues.
• Parenting, Fatherhood, Velour Tracksuits, & Pork Chop Sandwiches:
  Peppered throughout (see 127:29, 201:20+), the group’s classic riffing on fashion, food, and the aging Black male condition brings laughter and nostalgia.
• Football Playoff Talk & Super Bowl Predictions (189:11+):
  True to a snowed-in week and a mostly male crew, there’s deep fantasy football theory, hometown sporting heartbreak, and plans for Super Bowl parties.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On Revenge (Tracy Morgan incident):

  • Mark: "There is something satisfying about revenge when it's served cold." (34:22)
  • Joe: "I feel like you should be able to get to somewhere that doesn't land on revenge." (36:18)

• On Wealth and Income Brackets:

  • Joe: "Preservation replaces accumulation. Control matters more than growth. This is where perspective changes." (50:11)

• On Hip Hop’s Failure to Speak Out:

  • Joe: "Y'alls hip hop is scared, timid, afraid, down, complicit. Just a bunch of bums. But you want to fight for music rights and not no human rights. You are disgusting." (153:09)

• On Kanye’s Apology:

  • Mark: "He wasn't asking for a free pass… I'm asking for patience." (81:48)
  • Joe (on processing public apologies): "I'm not about to rack my brain...I'm praying for you, dog. That's the extent of where I'm going with this." (88:09)

Final Segment Highlights

• Super Bowl predictions & celebration plans; jokes about watching parties and relationship logistics (199:00+)
• Classic sign-off:
  Joe wraps up, reiterating gratitude to listeners and poking fun at his own and the crew’s lifestyles.
• Cameos of laughter:
  From space heaters (187:59) to “we warm” product placement and poverty nostalgia, the crew manages to both uplift and entertain.

Tone & Flow

The podcast, as ever, alternates between raucous, unfiltered laughter and raw, reflective insight. Each story, debate, and side quest is alive with the signature interplay of bombastic honesty, sly cynicism, heartfelt empathy, and hard-won wisdom. Even on the heaviest topics, the mood oscillates—one moment grave and the next comedic—with the hosts' chemistry smoothing every pivot.

For New Listeners

If you missed the episode, start at around 25:41 for the Tracy Morgan morality debate and stay for the incisive conversations about accountability—in friendships, in hip hop, and in society. This is a definitive JBP: honest, unedited, comedic, but not afraid to challenge itself or its listeners.