Joe Budden Talks About His Drug Addiction & Feud With Consequence

Publish date: 2023-12-11

Joe Budden has had ongoing struggles with addiction. The most recent one came in a relapse in the summer of 2012, where he used the popular drug Molly excessively. In an interview with Fuse, Budden spoke of how friends like Eminem helped him get through his problems, as well as his issues with Consequence.

"I started with drugs very early, maybe 12 or 13 years old," he said. "I checked into rehabilitation at 16, was released at 17, got a record deal at 20 and went 14 years without a drink or a drug. It was never an issue at all. Nobody ever knew anything. I spoke about it on songs like 'Calm Down' on my debut album on Def Jam, songs like 'Walk With Me' so if you were listening intently enough, you knew. I had a little issue over the past summer with a relapse. I thought it was important to share that because people out there may have been going through the very same thing."

Budden spoke of how his Shady boss and former addict, Eminem helped him to overcome his drug problem

"Em has his own struggles so he identifies. So that was great to have somebody...You're on a label with someone that identifies with those problems because we're unique people. We think a tad bit differently," Budden added. "All of the people around me were instrumental in micromanaging me to where I needed to be."

"I was definitely on stage at Summer Jam last year, being micromanaged, high out of my mind," he said. "Definitely saw some other artists backstage that couldn't barely stand up. But the fans don't see that. You still have to go out and do your job. You still have to perform. You still have to make a living."

Joe also made sure to comment on his ongoing feud with Consequence as well.

"I thought about fucking [Consequence] up everytime I saw him at one point but we have a lot to lose today so I'd rather not look like that. So I don't want any issues with anybody at all. But if I see him again and he would like an issue, I'll fuck him up again."

Watch the full interview below.