50 Cent and Joe Budden Bury the Hatchet at Knicks Playoff Game
After months of online jabs and heated exchanges, it looks like 50 Cent and Joe Budden have finally squashed their beef — and it all happened courtside at a New York Knicks playoff game.
The tension between the two New York rap veterans reached a boiling point earlier this year when 50 Cent mocked Irv Gotti’s death, prompting Budden to suggest he needed therapy. Things escalated quickly, with both artists trading insults on social media. But the drama appears to have cooled down, thanks to an unexpected face-to-face encounter at Madison Square Garden.
During the Knicks’ playoff clash with the Detroit Pistons, 50 Cent was spotted sitting front and center next to Fat Joe. Not far behind him sat none other than Joe Budden, a moment that was picked up by the arena’s jumbotron and immediately noticed by fans. Speculation ran wild online about what might have gone down between the two once-bitter rivals.
50 Cent, never one to stay silent for long, quickly addressed the moment in his signature cheeky style. Sharing the viral image on Instagram, he captioned it:
“I ran into Joe at the game he said I don’t need Therapy No MORE!”
A fan also snapped a candid photo of the two sharing a friendly hug, suggesting any bad blood had finally been left in the past. While Budden hasn’t publicly commented yet, the image spoke volumes — signaling what looks like a genuine reconciliation.
The beef between the two had simmered since early 2025. One of the most talked-about flashpoints came in March, when 50 Cent ridiculed Budden over an old, bizarre podcast clip where he made inappropriate comments about his dog. 50 used the footage to unleash a brutal caption, suggesting Budden needed therapy, lube, and a visit to PETA — even claiming he should register as a sex offender.
That post came shortly after Budden had criticized 50 for laughing at the passing of Irv Gotti, calling for him to seek professional help. In retaliation, 50 dragged up Budden’s dismissed stalking and lewdness case, where he was allegedly caught walking around naked in his apartment building. It was messy, personal, and relentless.
But it seems time — and the shared love of basketball — has a way of healing wounds. For now, the feud seems to be over, at least in the public eye. With both men known for their strong personalities and sharp tongues, their peace offering is a welcome surprise in the hip-hop world, where long-standing grudges often run deep.
Whether the truce holds or not, one thing’s for sure — this New York Knicks playoff game just made hip-hop history off the court.
