The latest episode of The Joe Budden Podcast began with a discussion around J. Cole’s Might Delete Later. Co-host Lamar “Ice” Burney was reviewing “Pricey” and noted the song features Gucci Mane and Young Dro. Budden interjected, “And Ari Lennox. Don’t do that to Ari. Ari Lennox is on track one as well. Shout-out to her.” It seemed like a well-intentioned shoutout for a split second before Budden added, “Don’t need her to go grab a football helmet again.”
What Did Ari Lennox Say About Joe Budden?
It would appear Lennox did not take kindly to her name coming out of Budden’s mouth. On her Instagram Story, Lennox posted a video of Consequence punching Budden backstage at a Love And Hip-Hop: New York reunion taping in 2013. After 24 Instagram Story posts of the same video, Lennox wrote, “Knocked your little glasses off and everything. Keep my precious name out of your psychotic, animal-abusing, women-terrorizing, demonic trolling, nicotine-encased mouth. All this meth smoke for a woman but not for any man beating your ass in real life. Bald b*tch!”
Ari Lennox’s IG story is just Joe Budden getting punched by Consequence on loop
pic.twitter.com/GG0JQsxAmw
— Still Knigga. (@Less_HumbleTeej) April 10, 2024
Of course, this is not just about one comment made this week. During the January 11 episode of Budden’s podcast, Budden criticized Lennox for expressing that she “was never comfortable” while opening on Rod Wave’s Nostalgia Tour last year.
Budden dismissed Lennox’s feelings — emphasizing that “it’s a blessing” to be able to tour as a musician and suggesting that Lennox should have told her team that she didn’t want to open for Rod Wave. For reference, Budden’s “football helmet” comment this week was a callback to mocking Lennox’s response to having a bottle thrown at her during one of her Nostalgia Tour sets.
“She went out there the next day with a football helmet on,” Budden said in January. “It’s only funny if it’s funny. […] I got a problem with this ‘woe is me’ era. I do. From guys, from girls.”
Lennox also clapped back in January. “Y’all, I don’t know what Joe Budden’s obsession is with me, but what I will say is that somebody needs to tell him to stop touching them dogs,” she said on an Instagram Live, as captured here. “I don’t understand why he’s so obsessed. Like, why are you so obsessed?” Budden apologized (sort of).