Joe Budden says Lil Wayne’s new album “Tha Carter VI” isn't the same artist he used to be: ‘Who the f*ck is around him?’

The Joe Budden Podcast talked about Weezy’s sixth installment of the decorated series ‘Tha Carter VI.’

The New Orleans rap legend draws unfortunate first reactions to his new album “Tha Carter VI.”

Lil Wayne’s The Carter VI was released on Friday (June 6), and many fans and media personalities, including The Joe Budden Podcast, immediately shared their thoughts on the Best Rapper Alive’s legacy.

In the latest episode of his self-titled show, the hip-hop personality commented that he feels Lil Wayne is no longer the same artist, judging from his work on the long-awaited new album, Tha Carter VI. To support his claim, Budden provided examples of Wayne's longtime collaborators, Drake and Nicki Minaj, not featuring on the latest album.

“This is not the same Wayne…this sounds like ‘Who the f*ck is around him?’ This sounds like is the engineer ni**a still mad at him? There's no Drake, there's no Nicki, nobody's walking through that door.”

In the two clips shared below by Budden's fan pages on June 7, 2025, the podcaster complained that he didn't hear a proper song at all with regard to the format, origin, topic, concept, and cohesiveness.

Additionally, Budden seemed surprised when Nicki and Drake's absence on Tha Carter VI came days after Sports Illustrated published a report on June 5, 2025, talking about a possible reunion between Drizzy, Nicki Minaj, and Wayne via the album. The report increased anticipation among fans, as the trio had collaborated on multiple hits in the past.