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The Joe Budden Podcast ·Sep 16, 2026 ·3h 19m

Episode 964 | "Macallan 69"

Evaluation and Summary

1.9/10

Episode 964 of The Joe Budden Podcast is a wide-ranging 3-hour-19-minute conversation covering entertainment, hip-hop, and pop culture news. The episode opens with a relationship debate about whether partners should have dinner with exes, then pivots to music discussion around Papoose's new record 'Jezebel.' The crew reacts to a new Red Bull Cypher featuring Ghostface Killah, Scarface, and Kool G Rap, offering commentary on the veteran rappers' performances. A significant portion covers Lil Durk's acquittal on all charges in his murder-for-hire trial, a major legal development in hip-hop. The episode includes reactions to Tyler Perry's new movie and his controversial 'spirit tunnel walk,' Macklemore's removal from Ed Sheeran's tour, and Boosie's appearance on '60 Minutes' discussing pardon scammers. Additional segments cover Ziwe's interview with Wanda Sykes, Young Thug and Kanye West's text exchange, and various other entertainment news items. The format follows the podcast's typical structure of rapid-fire topic jumping with the core cast providing commentary, debate, and reactions rather than deep dives.

Verdict: A typical Joe Budden episode offering entertainment news reactions and casual debate, but lacking musical depth, exclusive access, or compelling discovery value for the substantial time investment.

Music rubric

  • Musical insight 2/5 24%

    Limited musical analysis; focus is on reactions to Papoose's record and the Red Bull Cypher rather than substantive discussion of production, artistry, or musical merit.

  • Access and stories 1/5 24%

    No guest artists or insiders present; the podcast reacts to external news and releases rather than providing first-hand accounts or exclusive stories.

  • Discovery 2/5 18%

    Mentions Papoose's 'Jezebel' and the Red Bull Cypher as listening opportunities, but minimal detail or compelling reasons to seek them out.

  • Substance 2/5 18%

    Covers many topics but appears to be rapid-fire reactions and commentary rather than substantive exploration; relationship debates and entertainment gossip suggest filler alongside news coverage.

  • Delivers on its title n/a

    Title 'Macallan 69' is unexplained in show notes; cannot assess whether the episode delivers on its promise without knowing what the title references.

  • Value for time 2/5 18%

    At 3 hours 19 minutes with numerous brief topic switches, the pacing suggests significant padding; unclear if the breadth justifies the length.

How we score Music

Worth it if you're a dedicated JBP fan who enjoys the hosts' personalities and casual takes on hip-hop and pop culture news.

Based on the episode description. AI-generated; it can be wrong.

Show notes

The latest JBP episode kicks off with a debate on if you would allow your partner to have dinner with an ex (3:00) before turning to Papoose's new record 'Jezebel' (36:25). A new Red Bull Cypher is out featuring Ghostface Killah, Scarface & Kool G Rap (58:05), Lil Durk has been acquitted on all charges in his murder-for-hire trial (1:13:30), and the room reacts to Tyler Perry's new movie along with his spirit tunnel walk (1:44:12). Also, Macklemore has officially been kicked off the Ed Sheeran tour (2:06:46), Boosie is featured on '60 Minutes' during a segment on pardon scammers (2:35:15), the cast reacts to Ziwe's interview with Wanda Sykes (2:50:52), Joe's thoughts on Young Thug & Kanye's text exchange (2:58:10), and much more! Become a Patron of The Joe Budden Podcast for additional bonus episodes and visual content for all things JBP! Join our Patreon here: http://www.patreon.com/joebudden

Episode page

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