The Joe Budden Podcast Episode 913 | Not My Brand Of Vodka

TL;DR

Episode 913 covers Jay-Z's Reasonable Doubt and Blueprint anniversary shows, Tank vs. Tyrese verzuz, new music drops, and crew banter.

Key Points

• 1.B-Dot coins the episode title dismissing Ray Daniels. He says Ray Daniels is 'not my brand of vodka' and calls his rap opinions 'asinine,' citing Ray's claim that Lil Wayne has no motivational songs despite 'Hustler Music' existing.
• 2.A potential B-Dot vs. Ray Daniels hip-hop debate is teased for 2026. The crew wants to test whose hip-hop card is valid today, arguing hip-hop knowledge must be current, not just historical.
• 3.Jay-Z is doing back-to-back anniversary shows at Yankee Stadium. Reasonable Doubt's 30th anniversary on Friday and Blueprint's 25th anniversary on Saturday, with the DOJ antitrust case against Ticketmaster apparently resolved quickly to enable the event.
• 4.The crew debates whether to attend one or both nights. Joe commits to both; most agree Blueprint is the superior live show experience due to its crowd-friendly, stadium-ready catalog.
• 5.Blueprint is unanimously preferred as a live show over Reasonable Doubt. Songs like 'Song Cry' in Yankee Stadium are cited; Reasonable Doubt is considered a more intimate album less suited to a 45,000-seat venue.
• 6.Ticket prices are expected to be extremely high. Estimates range from $300 low-end to $10,000 near the stage, with comparisons to $4,000 Cardi B tickets and $3K+ Bad Bunny Yankee Stadium seats.
• 7.The crew discusses whether Jay-Z will perform 'Takeover.' Despite it being a Nas diss with references to the late Prodigy, they expect Jay-Z to perform it and possibly modify the lyrics.
• 8.Dame Dash's exclusion from the anniversary celebrations is noted. The crew says any potential reconciliation between Dame and Jay-Z is completely over, though Dame recently signed a partnership deal with BET Plus.
• 9.Nas performing Illmatic's 30th anniversary at a stadium is raised but dismissed. The crew loves Illmatic but argues it is not a girl-friendly or stadium-scale album, unlike Blueprint.
• 10.Tank vs. Tyrese verzuz is announced and happening March 26 in LA. The full crew picks Tank to win, largely because Tank is a prolific songwriter with credits that include records for Chris Brown, Aaliyah, and others.
• 11.Tank's songwriting catalog is debated as a potential 'cheat code.' Credits discussed include 'Take You Down' (disputed), 'Naked' by Marcia Houston, and Aaliyah Blackground-era records, giving Tank hidden ammunition beyond his own hits.
• 12.Genuine was originally supposed to be part of the verzuz. The crew jokes about who gets 'custody' of Genuine given both Tank and Tyrese have had tension with him, likely Tank.
• 13.TI name-dropped Joe Budden on a recent song, clarified as respectful. Joe explains blogs framed it as a diss but TI called personally to say it was a compliment; Joe appreciated the brotherhood off the internet.
• 14.New music reviewed includes Rick Ross and French Montana sampling Master Ace, BX the Plug with NWA sample, J. Cole on Mike Will Made It's album, and a Fetty Wap snippet. The crew rates the BX the Plug NWA-sampled track as fire and the Fetty Wap snippet as promising.
• 15.The summer of 2025 is declared an 'old school summer.' Between Jay-Z at Yankee Stadium, Tank vs. Tyrese verzuz, Roots Picnic with Erykah Badu, Brandy, Kehlani, and Jeezy's residency return, the crew is hyped for legacy acts dominating the season.