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Melyssa Ford is finding herself at the center of the feud between Joe Budden and Drake. Ford, the co-host of The Joe Budden Podcast, received a special mention in Canadian rapper Drake’s ‘Gimme A Hug,’ a track from his newly released collaborative album $ome $exy $ongs 4 U with PARTYNEXTDOOR.
$ome $exy $ongs 4 U were released on February 14. This highly awaited album was announced by Drake in Toronto during PARTYNEXTDOOR’s Sorry I’m Outside tour. Dissing Joe Budden, Drake gives Melyssa Ford an unexpected shoutout in the lyrics of ‘Gimme A Hug.’
“Melyssa Ford, you a legend from the 6, hate to see you with a d———r,” raps Drake.
Fans are already taking note of the lyrics’ significance. An X (formerly Twitter) user, @LeslieUncle, said,
“Drake praise Melissa Ford then diss Joe Budden”
Drake’s feud with Joe Budden
Drake’s response to Budden, an ex-rapper turned podcaster, comes in the wake of the latter’s rant against the rapper during an episode of The Joe Budden Podcast, which was co-hosted by Melyssa Ford. Calling Drake a “corpse,” Budden said,
“Hey Drake don’t shoot at me now that you’re ice cold. I’m not doing a back and forth with a corpse”
Budden also had a few words to say about Drake's current beef with Kendrick Lamar.
This comment was a response to Drake’s post on his finsta account (fake Instagram accounts that celebrities often use) @plottttwistttttt, which featured Budden smoking and getting out of a car. Drake captioned the post, “$$$----ING MEEEEEE.”
The conflict between Drake and Budden is not new. Drake released his album Views in 2016 when Budden called the rapper “uninspired” on the I’ll Name This Podcast Later podcast (which was later titled The Joe Budden Podcast).
In 2023, Budden (who was recently charged with lewdness) again targeted Drake on a podcast episode, referencing his album For All the Dogs and throwing shade at his shoutouts to young streamer Kai Cenat. Budden expressed frustration with Drake not making music for adults. Drake responded to a clip of the podcast, writing,
“For any artist watching this just remember you are watching a failure give their opinion on his idea of a recipe for success…a quitter give their opinion on how to achieve longevity…this guy is the poster child of frustration and surrendering.”
Who is Melyssa Ford?
While the feud between Budden and Drake has a long history, Melyssa Ford became an unlikely participant as she is the co-host of Budden’s podcast. It remains unclear whether or not Ford will continue to be a part of The Joe Budden Podcast. The Canadian model and television personality also hosts the podcast Hot & Bothered with Melyssa Ford, where she attempts to tackle lack of awareness around issues such as menopause and wellness.
The former music video model was previously in a relationship with Drake. Speaking to Drink Champs in 2021, Ford confirmed that she was once in a relationship with Drake. While explaining what she liked about the rapper, she said,
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“We spoke the same non-verbal language… There was an unspoken language, and I really, truly f—-g adored him”
With no confirmation on when and how the relationship ended, we can make out from ‘Gimme A Hug’ that Drake thinks highly of Melyssa Ford. How the feud between Drake and Budden will impact her, though, is something that we will have to wait and see.
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