Drake Slams Joe Budden Amid Melyssa Ford Shoutout on New Album
Drake's latest album, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, released in collaboration with PartyNextDoor on February 14, 2025, is already making waves — not just for its smooth tracks but for its lyrics.
On the song "Gimme A Hug," Drake sends a shoutout to former model and podcast host Melyssa Ford while throwing shade at Joe Budden.
Drake raps on the track, "Melyssa Ford, you a legend from the 6, hate to see you with a d**k-sucker." The line has been widely interpreted as a subtle diss aimed at Budden, who co-hosts The Joe Budden Podcast alongside Ford. The mention of Ford, a Toronto native, appears to honor her legacy in their shared hometown, but the jab at Budden adds a layer of tension.
Ford, known for her early career as a "video vixen" in hip hop music videos from the late 1990s to early 2000s, has since transitioned into acting, radio, and podcasting. Since 2022, she has been a regular co-host on Budden's popular podcast, which frequently delves into music and pop culture. She also hosts her own podcast, Hot & Bothered with Melyssa Ford.
This isn't the first time Drake and Budden, 44, have clashed. The two have a history of public feuds, often centered around Budden's critical opinions of Drake's music. The reference to Ford in this track might reignite their longstanding rivalry, as fans speculate whether Drake's lyrics were intended to escalate tensions further.
Read more: Freddie Gibbs Takes Shots at Drake and PartyNextDoor for Stealing His Cover Art: 'I'm Flattered'
Budden and Drake has often exchanged verbal jabs in recent months. After the "Hotline Bling" rapper reportedly posted Budden on his alleged burner account, per Hot97, Budden quickly replied on his podcast on February 12.
"Hey, Drake, don't come at me just because you're ice cold," Budden said. "I'm not going back and forth with a corpse. I wanted to do that when it was fun. Don't take hits all year and then pop up like Bernie in Weekend at Bernie's trying to fire shots at me. Go spin the block. Are you crazy?"
"Joe about to put his mouth to that microphone and yell for 2 days!!" one commenter wrote. "See, this what started the Kendrick beef. Drake throws shots at folks & when they throws a bigger shot back at him he runs to his lawyers & wanna sue," a second follower wrote, while a third wrote, "This man didn't learn his lesson to stop picking at people."
Drake also sent a musical nod to high-profile attorney Brian Steel on his new album.
Steel is perhaps best known for representing rapper Young Thug during the latter's high-profile RICO trial, and his name appears on the ninth track of the album. Per Complex, The New York Times journalist Joe Coscarelli posted Steel's response to X in which the latter said he was "not familiar" with the song but that he "looks up to Drake."
"I have had the honor and pleasure of meeting with Mr. Graham," the lawyer wrote. "He is so kind, considerate, generous, inspirational, intelligent—a true leader and great model for our community."
