Joe Budden accuses Young Thug of 'playing both sides' in tense relationship with 'snitch' Gunna

Budden speculates Young Thug’s motives in his back-and-forth with Gunna, citing financial ties.

Joe Budden has recently weighed in on the complicated relationship between rappers Young Thug and Gunna, suggesting that Young Thug may be “playing both sides.” 

Speculation around the two artists’ friendship has circulated for months, especially since Young Thug's release and the terms of his plea deal. 

The rapper’s agreement restricts him from contacting anyone affiliated with YSL, except for his brother and Gunna, with whom he specifically requested continued collaboration. 

Fans took this as a sign that the two may still be on good terms, but recent events have reignited doubts.

This past weekend, Young Thug posted a cryptic tweet directed at Gunna, which read, “Gunna stop acting like we friends on the internet, I don’t know u my guy,” only to delete it shortly after.

Gunna’s brother also responded, adding fuel to the rumor mill by writing, “Trust and believe the feeling is mutual [blue P emoji].”

On his podcast, Budden expressed his own views, stating that Young Thug’s motivations may be financially driven. 

"All this principle and moral sh*t, I'm sick of it. N****s is out here doing sh*t for the dollar that’s better than them," Budden remarked, adding that given Young Thug’s legal costs and responsibilities, it would be “foolish” to sever ties with a “top-tier act.”

Joe budden talks about how young thug is playing both sides of the fence with gunna . You tell the camera’s and the fans you’re not rocking with him but you tell the judge that you need to keep in contact with him for buisness pic.twitter.com/iCRnYgsyYM

— joebuddenclips (@Chatnigga101) November 13, 2024

Budden’s comments echoed those of DJ Akademiks, who previously shared a similar theory on social media. 

"Thug told durk baby and a few other rappers that Gunna was no good while [in prison]," Akademiks posted. He suggested Young Thug would have a hard time explaining any public alignment with Gunna, given these private conversations.