Why Did Kai Cenat & Adin Ross Diss Joe Budden?

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Joe Budden has long been better known for his controversial opinions about pop culture than for his music, but his latest targets have equally large platforms and are fighting back against his latest rant. In the wake of the 2024 Grammy Awards, the newest episode of The Joe Budden Podcast found the New Jersey curmudgeon loudly venting against both the show itself — specifically, Travis Scott’s performance — and against streamers like Kai Cenat and Adin Ross, who were upset that Killer Mike won in three rap categories over their generation’s favorite artists like Drake, Metro Boomin, and Travis Scott.

“Shut your ass up,” he said, addressing the angry streamers. “Yo, y’all lil streaming n****s don’t always run sh*t. Shut the f*ck up! We don’t care about none of that little streaming, moshpit, marked car whatever you n****s is doing over there… I’m just so happy that the streaming — that the little f*ckity f*cks finally, finally have a look-in-the-mirror moment and say, ‘Oh, it’s not about us.’ No, adults are out, n***a. N****s got pocket handkerchiefs in. N****s got fly sh*t on. Yeah, real execs, business people, you little f*ckity f*cks.”

However, on their own respective streams, Cenat and Ross struck back. During his stream on Twitch, Cenat said, “What we have here is a case of old n**** syndrome… Stop talking about streaming n****s like we some lil’ n****s. I could buy you.” He also pointed out Budden’s habit of hating on younger entertainers, saying, “I could pull up like 20 clips of you doubting every 2016 [XXL] Freshman, and look at them boys right now,” before administering the coup de grace: “You got one hit, Joe! ‘Pump it up!’”

Meanwhile, on Kick, Ross was even nastier, saying, “Joe Budden, every time I see you or a clip of you, it’s just on some hating sh*t. I’ma be honest, bro, I don’t know what you do. I can’t even name one Joe Budden song, respectfully… You’re one of these old asses who hates. Why can’t you be more like Rick Ross or Snoop Dogg, the OGs that are cool as f*ck and show flowers to the young motherf*ckers? You have no room to talk, no room to speak.”

Unfortunately, both sides have good points. As per usual, the generational divide in hip-hop is the culprit, but neither side is taking the appropriate steps to bridge that gap (to paraphrase Dave Chappelle: Where’s J. Cole??). In the midst of Budden’s rant is a nugget of truth: maybe 22-year-olds aren’t in the best position to present themselves as authorities on rap music — especially if they refuse to engage with it past the obvious streaming favorites and hip-hop that barely counts as hip-hop.

But the streamers, jive turkeys that they are (I’m looking at white supremacist/misogynist apologist Ross here), have a point of their own: Joe Budden is a huge hater. Seriously, every time he goes viral it’s for another clip of him that sounds very much like he never got over being dropped by Def Jam, then torching his second chance at Shady Records. If anyone needs a “look in the mirror” moment, it’s Joe.