Joe Budden has made a startling claim about Kendrick Lamar and Drakeā€™s beef, claiming they spoke before engaging in lyrical warfare this past summer.

Speaking on the latest episode of his self-titled podcast, the former Slaughterhouse rapper cited insider speculation that the rap rivals ā€œhad a talkā€ before exhanging diss songs to outline the rules of battle.

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ā€œI heard that Drake and Kendrick had a talk before any diss record was released. I donā€™t know if thatā€™s true or not, but I heard they spoke!ā€ he said.

When pressed for more details about this alleged conversation, Budden said: ā€œIt went like the Teddy Pendergrass part of the shit,ā€ referencing the dreamy yet disparaging intro of Kendrickā€™s ā€œEuphoria,ā€ which samples the soul singerā€™s 1981 track ā€œYouā€™re My Latest, My Greatest Inspiration.ā€

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ā€œā€˜Hey, how do you want this go?'ā€ he continued, imagining what Kendrick asked Drake during their alleged talk. ā€œā€˜What we doing? Oh, we rapping? Okay, then letā€™s keep it umph.ā€™ And he didnā€™t keep it umph soā€¦

ā€œItā€™s not even, like, real tea. Itā€™s only tea ā€™cause to say it to him on the phone ā€” like, I know what thatā€™s like when you bouta fucking tear a n-gga. ā€˜Let me call him and make sure first. Hey man, we doing this for real?'ā€

Joe Budden has frequently involved himself in the beef between the Hip Hop heavyweights.

In July, Budden addressed Kendrick Lamarā€™s claim throughout the battle thatĀ DrakeĀ is an outsider in Hip Hop, questioning whether the Canadian truly belongs in the culture.

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ā€œCulture is where Kendrick was shifting his conversation: how do you dress? Whoā€™s your barber? Are you a good dad? Can you dance? Your slaps? Whatā€™s your hood? Did you have a nickname growing up? Shit like that is what Kendrick was leaning into to,ā€ he said on the BagFuelĀ podcast.

ā€œThose people, I believe, created Hip Hop,ā€ he added, forming a distinction between the originators and the imitators who merely observed the culture from afar and ā€œwanted some of that.ā€

Joe Budden Accuses Drake Of Ghosting Him After Kendrick Lamar Beef: 'I Don't Like That'
Joe Budden Accuses Drake Of Ghosting Him After Kendrick Lamar Beef: 'I Don't Like That'

While Budden didnā€™t put Drake, a former teen actor who grew up in a Toronto suburb, in the latter category, he did criticize him forĀ buying 2Pacā€™s $1 million ringĀ andĀ wearing Camā€™ronā€™s pink fur coat while performing with Dipset.

ā€œEven if thatā€™s not your intent, you gotta know how that comes off,ā€ he said. ā€œIā€™ve never been around Drake and Kendrick, but to hear Kendrick say,Ā ā€˜You run to Atlanta when you need a check balanceā€¦ā€™

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ā€œItā€™s like, ā€˜Oh, you noticed that too.ā€™ ā€˜Cause I noticed that. I get what you trying to say. And you probably the only person that could say it, and it be effective and impactful.ā€

Budden went on to openly question whether Drake ā€œcaresā€ about Hip Hop culture, saying: ā€œI wonā€™t answer it, but maybe. Maybe.ā€