Joe Budden seems to always be in some controversy. Whether it’s his off-handed comments, outright blatant disrespect, or occasional lack of decorum, the rapper, turned podcast host has garnered a notorious reputation for rubbing people the wrong way.
Following Meg Thee Stallion’s candid interview, Budden took to his “The Joe Budden Podcast,” and decided to poke holes at Meg Thee Stallion’s story about her violent run-in with Tory Lanez; an incident that left her severely injured. Budden compared Megan’s recent CBS Interview with the history of reported domestic violence between Evelyn Lozada and Chad ‘Ochocinco’ Johnson.
During the episode, Budden stated that Megan’s remarks are “victim bullying,” said Budden, referring to Tory Lanez.
“Every time I do something positive, you’re gonna pop up with this victim story,” said Budden. “And you are the victim, so I don’t take that away. But that’s bullying.”
Budden’s comments are problematic, not because they’re inappropriate, but because they point to a persisting problem that a lot of rappers have either consciously or unconsciously: misogynoir. In spite of this, certain things remain true:
We Are Going Nowhere Fast
Despite society realizing the power and magic of Black women, the reality is that a black woman’s trauma, no matter how deep-cutting, will always be questioned. Like clockwork, whenever a Black woman experiences a violent act, society searches for a way to blame the Black woman for her predicament, regardless of the situation.
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A Reflection
Black women continue to be invalidated because the wrong set of people have a platform that they use to demean and insult Black women for the world to see. Black women are among the few races, if not only race, whose male counterparts publically humiliate them for the world to see. Budden’s recent comments are only a public reflection of what other men do to Black women in everyday life.
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Some People Will Continue To Use their Platform to Degrade Black Women
The dangerous angle of Budden’s comments is that he chose to victim blame instead of using his platform to uplift, encourage and validate Megan’s story. Men who are predisposed to misogynoir may listen to Budden’s comments are use them to validate their crummy behavior toward Black women. Budden, a retired rapper from the late ’90s, belonged to an era of rap that was heavily misogynistic, and while that explains his problematic behavior toward women, it also points to a sad reality: men in rap and hip hop have always had the power to uplift Black women in their lyrics as custodians of the culture. However, for whatever reason, men like Budden and a bunch of other rappers, have historically chosen not to.
Black Women Need To Take The Power In Their Hands
Unfortunately, comments like Budden’s are outrageous but not surprising. When a Black woman complains about experiences she has lived through, she is immediately dismissed or told to keep quiet. However, the reality is no matter how Black women bend over backward to attempt to be more meek or gentle, society will still always find something to harp on. The irony of Budden’s “victim bullying” comment is that he is the one trying to bully Megan into silence. It is time for Black women to continue to advocate for themselves and each other since other will not.