Drake went back to back on dissing Joe Budden.
Following the release of his new album, For All the Dogs, Drake, 36, found himself feuding with longtime rival Budden, 43, once again. “I thank God for this life, and not having to come to rushed conclusions [made] on Best Buy podcast mics,” Drake wrote via Instagram on Monday, October 9, captioning a slideshow full of highlights from his It’s All A Blur Tour.
Drake’s caption seemingly referred to Budden’s career as a podcast host — and his recent critical take on For All The Dogs, which dropped Friday, October 6. Budden weighed in on the record during an episode of his eponymous podcast.
“I miss the Drake that was rapping for the rappers,” Budden said. “He’s rappin’ for the children. Yo, dog — I had to look up how old this n— was when I finished listening to the album. You are 36. Your birthday is in 20 days — I Googled that, too. You’re going to be 37 years old. Get the f—k away from some of these younger n—s. … I want to hear adult Drake rapping for adult people. He’s rapping for the kids, the streams, the accolades. He ain’t trying to rap for me. I can accept that.”
However, Drake couldn’t accept the criticism. “@joebudden you have failed at music,” Drake wrote in the comments section of an Instagram post shared by DJ Akademiks. “You left [music] behind to do what you are doing in this clip cause this is what actually pays your bills. For any artist watching this, just remember you are watching a failure give their opinion on his idea of a recipe for success…a quitter [giving] their opinion on how to achieve longevity.”
Drake added that artists shouldn’t let Budden’s opinions “affect your mindset after the fact,” writing, ”This guy is the poster child of frustration and [surrender]. You retired, and we never hung up your jersey. We don’t even remember your number. We know you for doing this…you withdrew from rap not cause you accomplished all you need to it’s cause it wasn’t working for you.”
Concluding his rant, Drake noted, “If you need it put in simpler terms, I own a 767…he owns a modest house in the 973 and flies first class on special occasions.”
Budden’s response to Drake’s diss, meanwhile, was short and sweet. “You’ll grow up sooner or later,” he commented on Akademiks’ post. “Father time is undefeated.”
Budden’s remarks about For All the Dogs were echoed by many, as the album was not well-received by critics. Rolling Stone called it a “meandering 84-minute album” where Drake seems “exhausted from being Drake.” Pitchfork said that Drake “struggles to keep it interesting” on the album, while The Guardian noted that the “repetitive rap titan needs new tricks.”
NME said the album was “banger-less, bitter and deeply mid,” seemingly referring to Drake’s unexpected diss on his once-love, Rihanna. On “Fear of Heights,” Drake said that sex with his 35-year-old ex was “average” and that he’s had “badder bitches” than her.
