The Joe Budden Podcast

Episode 901 | "Loser Sibling"

Release Date: February 7, 2026
Main Theme:
A wide-ranging, humorous, and sometimes biting discussion on J. Cole’s new double album, the morality and cultural dynamics surrounding "boosting" (buying goods from shoplifters), the viral “loser sibling” moment involving Glorilla’s family, and classic Joe Budden banter on relationships, trust, family obligations, and music industry realities.

Main Topics & Key Insights

1. The "Boosting" Debate

(00:00–16:00; 193:00–195:00)

• Boosting Defined: Boosting refers to buying goods from people who steal them from retail stores. The crew debates the ethics, logistics, and age-appropriateness.
• Joe’s Position: Joe finds it suspect and cringeworthy to seek out boosted household items like vacuums past age 40.
• Others Push Back: Several cast members defend it as practical and subversive (“a little bite of reparations”), and claim to support "professional boosters."
• Mona’s Perspective: Mona reveals her direct relationship with an ex-booster, arguing it’s about “fighting capitalism” and supporting a hustler’s economy.
• Quote:
  • Mona: “The fact that I hate Big Corp and a little piece of me hate capitalism, I love to buy stolen merchandise. I enjoy.” (03:31)
• Devil’s Advocacy: Cast discusses where the line is—designer bags are fine, but appliances become suspect beyond efficiency.

2. J. Cole’s Double Album Deep Dive

(19:00–87:00)

Panel: Joe Budden (A), Mark Lamont Hill (B), Mona (E), Ish (D), Parks (C), and others

• First Impressions:
  • Mark: "J. Cole made this album for J. Cole and Fayetteville. It felt very personal and very local." (19:43)
  • Joe: "This album is everything I love and hate about J. Cole." (33:13)
• Storytelling vs. Production:
  • Panel agrees Cole is at his storytelling peak—each disc is a narrative, with Disc One focused on going home to Fayetteville at age 29.
  • The production, mainly by T-Minus and Cole himself, is praised for storytelling purposes but critiqued for being "boom bap" and not "grandiose" enough for a final album.
• Comparison to Other Double Discs:
  • Joe: “All Eyez On Me and Life After Death are two of the best albums ever made...J. Cole is phenomenal. We do not know that he can do that.” (22:54)
  • Some felt the album was “anti-climatic” and lacked replay value despite strong rapping.
• Vocals/Features:
  • Discussion about Cole’s monotone as fatiguing over two discs; features from Tims and Burna Boy provided needed contrast.
• High Points:
  • “Safety,” “Bunce Road Blues,” “Drum and Bass,” “Only You” are panel favorites.
  • “Poor Thing” and local beef tracks are lauded for regional hip hop authenticity.
• Critiques:
  • Mark: “If you take off the final four or five songs, you’re missing something.” (40:50)
  • Joe: “He’s one of the best rappers in the world. And then that’s it for me. It’s not an event...” (53:06)
• Larger Analysis:
  • Cole is compared to Nas for being more observer than participant, and the concept album approach is praised, but the narrative focus is divisive.
  • Consensus: Solid, personal work, but doesn’t shift Cole’s standing atop Forest Hills Drive/Off Season.
• Quotes:
  • Joe: “This album… highlights some of the things that frustrate me about J. Cole.” (85:05)

3. Glorilla, "Loser Sibling," & Family Obligations

(107:44–131:00)

• TMZ Viral Clip: Glorilla’s sibling claims she owes the family more financial support, sparking a lively debate on sibling and family expectations.
• Panel’s Take:
  • Mona: “Some people feel like you owe your family, some people don’t. I don’t feel like you owe the motherfuckers nothing.”
  • Joe: “Sorry if I’m triggering people out there. The winner sibling, the mom and dad is hitting like, yo, you held it down for me this month… The loser sibling? You know what it is.” (115:12)
• Humor & Empathy:
  • Jokes fly about “loser siblings”—those who never progress, always call on the successful sibling, and expect help.
  • The discussion also covers the real pain and resentment in dysfunctional family dynamics, with debate on whether success obligates you to financially support family.
• Memorable Line:
  • “At some point, one of us is going to say, ‘I don’t want to live like this no more. I want to glow up.’ The trailer home was always in the loser sibling’s future…” (112:49)

4. LaRussell and the Meaning of "Independent"

(150:00–168:00)

• LaRussell’s Roc Nation Signing: Dissection of his move from independent hustler (selling albums for $1,000 per copy) to a Roc Nation partnership, despite previously critiquing major labels.
• Is He Still Independent?
  • Parks and others question: Does owning your masters and publishing still count if you partner with a major distributor?
  • Joe: “Nobody can feel like they’ve taken it as far as they can take it if we don’t know a song. That will always be true.” (156:01)
• 40 Albums Drop: Panel shocked to learn LaRussell has 40 albums but isn’t mainstream.
• The Debate:
  • Many argue it’s legitimate to get help for marketing—“if I made 40 albums and you don’t know me, I need help.”
  • Joe and Ish push back—if you champion independence and then switch, fans deserve an honest explanation.

5. Music & Cultural News

(98:54–106:00 & 185:34–187:02)

• LMA and New R&B: High praise for Ella Mai’s new Mustard-executive-produced project.
• Other Notables: Sasha Keeble’s deluxe project, plus mention of Teddy Riley’s current "Guy" tour without original members, and a somber health PSA from Kid (of Kid n Play) regarding congestive heart failure: “A lot of people are walking around with heart disease because they don’t go to the doctor…” (186:05)

6. The Trust List: Who Don’t You Trust?

(140:35–146:51)

• Roundtable naming public figures they simply do not trust or believe, including Dame Dash, Blueface, Mr. Beast, Kiki Palmer, Bruno Mars, Soulja Boy, Orlando Brown, LeBron James, and more.
• Joe: “It’s not really a list for me. I don’t believe most people. Especially in entertainment.”

7. Randoms, Jokes, Closing Segments

(141:52–197:06)

• Super Bowl Predictions: Multiple picks for Seattle; jokes about the parties, food, and family.
• Savannah Guthrie’s Mother-in-law Missing: The panel analyzes a true crime situation, speculates it “reeks of a loser sibling,” and riffs on “would you pay ransom for your loser sibling?”
• Kevin James Scandal: Disappointment after publicly supporting a college president who is then caught in an inappropriate conversation.
• Spirit/Actual Age: “How old are you in spirit?” leads to friendly teasing about being washed vs. youthful.
• Podcast Philosophy: As always, Joe ends with “life is a series of moments… let’s make this one last as if it’s all we have.”

Notable Quotes & Moments

• [03:31, Mona]: “I love to buy stolen merchandise. I enjoy.”
• [19:43, Mark]: “J. Cole made this album for J. Cole and Fayetteville.”
• [22:54, Joe]: “All Eyez On Me and Life After Death… J. Cole is phenomenal. We do not know that he can do that.”
• [33:13, Joe]: “This album for me was everything I absolutely love and adore about J. Cole. And also everything I absolutely hate about J. Cole.”
• [53:06, Joe]: “He’s one of the best rappers in the world. And then that’s it for me. It’s not an event.”
• [112:49, Joe]: “I want to spend some time on the loser sibling and their point of view… you was in the same crib, you know what it is…”
• [115:12, Joe]: “The winner sibling, the mom and dad is hitting like, yo, you held it down for me this month…”
• [156:01, Joe]: “Nobody can feel like they’ve taken it as far as they can take it if we don’t know a song. That will always be true.”

Major Timestamps for Segments

• 00:00–16:00: Boosting/Booster Culture Debate
• 19:00–87:00: J Cole Double Album (breakdown, critiques, highlights, and discussion)
• 107:44–131:00: Glorilla “loser sibling,” family payout obligations
• 150:00–168:00: LaRussell, independence, major labels debate
• 185:34–187:02: Shout-out to Kid (Kid n Play) and health PSA
• 140:35–146:51: Who Do You Not Trust? Roundtable
• Several throughout: Banter, life lessons, comical rants on relationships, home goods, podcasting, and more

Overall Mood & Tone

• Funny, irreverent, slightly combative—but always familial: The group roasts each other and their topics, but discussions about music and family, especially, carry undertones of real affection and insight.

For Listeners Contemplating:

• Is boosting ethical and where’s the line?
• How do we judge “final” albums and narrative leaps in hip hop?
• What do we owe our families (financially, emotionally) when we ‘make it’?
• Is ‘independence’ real in the music industry, or just a marketing point?
• Do we have ‘loser siblings’—or are we them?
• And, if you want flowers…should you really be getting them from a booster?

This Episode in a Nutshell

A classic Joe Budden Podcast: unfiltered, full of hip-hop analysis, human comedy, hard opinions, and a perspective that is both street-savvy and deeply skeptical of systems. Fans of cultural debate, music breakdowns, and chaotic group chemistry will find Episode 901 both hilarious and, occasionally, uncomfortably real.