Joe Budden

Joseph Anthony Budden II (born August 31, 1980) is an American media personality, broadcaster, cultural critic, and former rapper. He first gained recognition as a rapper for his 2003 hit single "Pump It Up," which preceded the release of his eponymous debut studio album (2003). The album peaked within the top ten of the Billboard 200 and saw positive critical reception, although it would be his only major label project for Def Jam Recordings, thereafter releasing seven studio albums independently. Meanwhile, he performed as a member of the hip hop supergroup Slaughterhouse, which were signed to Eminem's Shady Records in 2012; the group released two studio albums.

In 2018, he retired from recording and re-emerged as a broadcaster. Three years prior, he began hosting The Joe Budden Podcast, which was received positively. As of 2024, the podcast has ran for nearly seven hundred episodes. In 2017, he had a much-publicized run as a co-host (alongside DJ Akademiks) for Complex magazine's web show Everyday Struggle. He hosted State of the Culture alongside Remy Ma for the network Revolt from 2018 to 2020. Budden has been described as "the Howard Stern of hip hop".