Dreamville Records artist Ari Lennox ignited a firestorm of controversy earlier this month following her appearance on Podcast and Chill. At one point in the interview, host Macgyver “MacG” Mukwevho asked her if “someone was fucking [her] good,” a reference to one of her lyrics from the 2019 song “Pop.”
Lennox was visibly startled by the invasive question and soon swore off interviews via Twitter. But fellow podcast host Joe Budden apparently doesn’t see anything wrong with MacG’s line of questioning and went on to explain why he sides with the South African podcast host in a recent episode of The Joe Budden Podcast.
“I think I have the license to say this,” he begins in the clip. “As probably one of the most introspective artists ever, a rule of thumb for me was if I say it in a song, it’s in the world. It’s on board to be discussed from people.
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“If I go in the street and a fan see me, they might say, ‘Yo that verse in ‘Only Human’ when you was talking about such and such and such and such,’ like it can be brought up. Once it’s documented, it lives. It exists. That was something I used to battle with as an introspective artist.”
MacG is the MOST googled podcaster in the world right now ?
King of Podcast, worldwide! ?
SA stand up! ❤️Ari Lennox done losing this case, Americans are trying hard to defend her, it's not working.
Joe Budden tried shame ?Kabza • #BBManzi • Mpho • Mr Smeg • Zimbabweans pic.twitter.com/5svNJG0VT3
— YaseB ?? (@ThisIsColbert) January 28, 2022
Joe Budden goes on to say he wants to remain neutral on the topic but continues to make his point abundantly clear.
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“I’m not saying the South African podcaster was right or wrong ’cause it’s not my place to say it,” he continues. “But Ari Lennox’s last nine verses have been sexually explicit. If you’re sitting with a shock jock, you have to know that anything you have ever said in a song is on record to be discussed. Now, could he have done that in a much more classy and tasteful way? Of course.
Ari Lennox Swears Off Interviews After Being Asked 'If She Was Being Fucked Good'
“But for Ari Lennox afterward to act like where did he even find the nerve, courage and gall to ask me such an explicit question? I’ve listened to all your guest verses. I love them shit. Part of why I love them is because you’re talking that talk.”
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As Budden started to get blowback for his remarks, he hopped on Twitter to say, “I said whatever you think I said, do what you want with that.”
I said whatever you think i said, do what you want with that.
— Joe Budden (@JoeBudden) January 28, 2022
Joe Budden quickly became a trending Twitter topic on Friday (January 28) as a result of his commentary, with many pointing out Podcast and Chill is actually bigger than The Joe Budden Podcast. According to an article from Kaya959, Podcast and Chill is among the Top 3 urban podcasts in the world with over 53,228,724 YouTube views on the platform and nearly 500,000 subscribers.
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Check out some of the reactions below.
The way Joe Budden avoided to say the “MacG or Podcast and Chill”????? he was like “The Gentleman, South African YouTuber, The South African Podcaster???? He knows MacG is pulling crazy numbers, by mentioning his name he’d be promoting him even more???
— ?BLO & BLO? (@BLO__n__BLO) January 28, 2022
The Joe Budden Podcast defending MacG of #PodcastAndChill without defending him
I know my GOAT! ?"I don't fall for this, I don't feel sorry for (Ari Lennox) this"?
Rashid Kay once said, "Twitter is not a real place" ?
DJ Maphorisa • Mpho • Themba • Mr Smeg •Zimbabweans pic.twitter.com/BffPB9qG3W
— YaseB ?? (@ThisIsColbert) January 28, 2022
Joe Budden siding with MacG regarding the Ari Lennox interview without siding with MacG.#MusicWithDMEpic.twitter.com/yYZIXeKtZv
— Death ☠ Stroke ?? (@Death_Stroke01) January 28, 2022
For me it's Joe Budden acting like he doesn't know MacG but #PodcastAndChill is bigger than him pic.twitter.com/hwSEQaRSqR
— Prescott South (@south_prescott) January 28, 2022
Joe Budden (podcast) weighs in on the Ari Lennox and MacG saga.
Yes, he called MacG "a shock jock from wherever he is from" ? ?#PodcastAndChill is here! Everybody can feel it, nalongayingeni uyoze ayingene ?#ShowerHour • Kwid dj maphorisa • Mbule • Themba • #BBMzansipic.twitter.com/wukJpcrDkJ
— YaseB ?? (@ThisIsColbert) January 28, 2022
Google what “shock jock” means, and you will see that Joe Budden used the correct word to descreibe MacG…whether you fuck with MacG or not…that’s literally what he does.#macg#arilennoxpic.twitter.com/JPCUm3KjZ7
— Siyabonga K. Zuma (@DankieSirKwanel) January 28, 2022
#PodcastAndChill is the BIGGEST urban podcast in the WORLD ? right now!.
Yes, bigger than Joe Budden, The Breakfast Club, Rory and Mal ❤️
It makes sense they paying influencers to CANCEL MacG ?#NaakHimOut • Chris Excel • #BigBrotherMzansi • ChickenLicken pic.twitter.com/CKEkT1Q1a9
— YaseB ?? (@ThisIsColbert) January 24, 2022
Joe Budden Defends MacG, in not so many words.
— African Legend (@AfricanLegendZA) January 28, 2022
