Joe Budden Says "Corporate Games" Is A Reason He Left "Everyday Struggle"

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Cast member Joe Budden appears at the VH1 'Love & Hip Hop' Season 4 Premiere at Stage 48 on October 28, 2013 in New York City.
Joe Budden explains his sign of leaving Everyday Struggle.

It's been a huge year for hip hop especially with the creation of "Everyday Struggle." Unfortunately, the shows star, Joe Budden, has parted ways with Complex yesterday and the news has been disheartening among fans of the show. There's yet to be much revealed apart from a series of tweets from Joe and a very PC statement from Complex themselves. Today, Joey made the record clear on "The Joe Budden Podcast."

Alongside co-hosts, Rory and Mal, Joe Budden dived deep into why he left "Everyday Struggle" and the factor of corporations getting their hand on the web series played a large factor. Joe explained how the show came about and explained that he was the one that came up with the shows concept. While the show began to bubble, Joe explained that corporations tried to jump in between the creative process. He also said that he and Akademiks helped Complex build more prominence as a media company. He also explained that he wasn't into the whole idea of having guests on the show, primarily because he doesn't want to talk to other rappers.

He mentioned Spotify specifically trying to get the show to speak on their RapCaviar playlist while pretending to be candid about it. When Joe refused, Complex said they'd do it without him which ultimately made them lose their relationship with Spotify. Especially since no one was cutting a cheque to Ak or Budden.  

He also explained following the birth of his child this past weekend, he received an e-mail that said his contract was newly expired.

"I had my baby Friday. Sunday, Ian e-mails Complex to say, 'No need to worry about a thing. Joe will be there bright an early on Monday.' You know what the said? 'In receipt of your e-mail, Ian. Joe's newly expired contract is indeed expired. We have moved on. If Joe is to come to work, that would be awesome but he'll accept this rate of pennies and biscuits," he recalled. 

Overall, Joe Budden didn't seem to enjoy how things were going at Complex and the way they dealt with "Everyday Struggle."


About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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