It was the greatest podcast in the history of hip-hop.
“The Joe Budden Podcast” with co-hosts Rory, Mal and Parks delivered consistent, three-hour doses of comedy each week from 2017 to 2021. However, in May 2021, tensions came to a head when Joe Budden publicly fired Rory during a live broadcast. Standing in solidarity with Rory, Mal didn’t return to the podcast and the two former cohosts eventually started their own podcast.
The breakup of the popular podcast was rooted in a dispute over financial transparency, leading to a rift between the co-hosts. As the show gained popularity, Rory sought to understand the podcast’s earnings. However, Joe Budden, who owned the show, refused to share this information. Rory and fellow co-host Mal believed that they had contributed equally to the podcast’s success and were entitled to know its financial details. Budden’s continued refusal to provide transparency sparked disagreements that ultimately led to the show’s dissolution.
In a recent development, Budden encountered Rory at a Lucky Daye concert in New York. On his podcast, Budden later explained his stance, stating that he has no intention of ever speaking to Rory or Mal again.
“Them n—- accused me of stealing and thievery as a friend who was doing a lot of friend s—,” Budden said. “So now, you’ve got to stand on that. I’m standing on mine. I wouldn’t steal from any of my friends. I wouldn’t think about it. That’s like the furthest thing in the world from me. That’s not the man that I am. I’m standing on that.”
"The accused me of stealing as a friend…You got to stand on that." Joe explains why we won't see pod peace with Rory and Mal pic.twitter.com/2iG2CzXVAF
— Micah Jung Un (@Micah_W17) August 10, 2024
