Budden Compares Bruno Mars’ New Track to Donald Trump’s Tactics
Joe Budden has heavily criticized Bruno Mars’ new collaboration with Sexyy Red, “Fat Juicy & Wet,” calling the track’s approach to attracting Black listeners a marketing gimmick. On his podcast, Budden lambasted the song’s sexually explicit nature, comparing Bruno Mars’ change in style to tactics used by Donald Trump to appeal to certain audiences.
“Will it work? Yes. They’re gonna pay for this to work,” Budden said, acknowledging the track’s likely commercial success thanks to strong label backing. However, he took issue with what he perceives as a formulaic approach to capturing the attention of Black audiences, particularly with the song’s raunchy lyrics. “Sexyy Red, when it’s time to sell a mixtape or get shit poppin’ in the hood… it’s the raunchiest, nastiest shit that works,” he explained.
Budden then compared Mars’ new approach to Trump’s use of controversial tactics, suggesting that both involve pandering to Black listeners by leveraging certain stereotypes. “I’m sick of… white people, or Bruno Mars, thinking that in order to attract us, they need to start talking about gangbanging,” he added.
Bruno Mars and Sexyy Red have not publicly responded to Budden’s criticism.