Joe Budden wasn’t impressed by J. Cole’s decision to drive his old Honda Civic as part of the Trunk Sale Tour rollout for his new album, The Fall Off.
The podcast host even admitted he was pleased when the car broke down.
Speaking on a recent episode of The Joe Budden Podcast, the former rapper shared his blunt reaction to the news.
“Nobody in the world that could not be happier that J. Cole Civic broke down, it’s me,” Budden said. “I jumped for joy when the news came across my feed that J. Cole and this stupid performative ass Civic broke down.”
Cole has been using an old-school Honda Civic as part of his recent rollout, saying it’s the same car he owned early in his career before becoming a global star. Budden, however, questioned the authenticity behind the gesture.
“That was fake humble,” he said. “Stop with this ‘I’m rich, but I relate to you’ … You selling a lot of records and lying to my face in the process with this Civic shit.”
Budden also reacted to reports that fans visited the mechanic shop while the car was being repaired in Phoenix, turning the breakdown into part of the moment.
“J. Cole fans going to make me hate them too,” Budden said. “Jermaine Cole in this Civic is stupid. I’m glad it broke down.”
At the same time, Budden praised Kendrick Lamar for how he incorporated a vehicle into his narrative, pointing to Kendrick’s use of the Buick GNX for his most recent album.
“When Kendrick wanted to put a car in the story, boy did he pick a cool one,” Budden said. “Kendrick story that he put to the GNX was gangster.”