Joe Budden Recalls Kanye West Asking Him to Fly to Hong Kong for an Interview

The story of Kanye West’s unpredictable approach to interviews and collaborations recently came up on The Joe Budden Podcast, where Joe Budden recalled being asked by West to fly all the way to Hong Kong for an interview.

Budden said he ultimately turned down the invitation, questioning whether it was worth taking a roughly 27-hour trip only to risk Kanye changing plans or not showing up. Budden’s story came up during a broader discussion about Kanye’s stadium performances and his behind-the-scenes behavior.

Budden also compared the situation to a story involving Ceelo, who reportedly traveled to Japan after being asked by Kanye to meet, only to allegedly be stood up.

The discussion also touched on a pattern Budden said he has noticed with Kanye: the way West can publicly talk about artists such as Big Sean and then later bring those same people onto the stage during his performances.

Kanye has previously explained that some of his cancellations or changes in plans were because he was “under the weather,” offering that as the reason for not following through on certain appearances.

For Budden, however, the Hong Kong invitation raised an obvious question: Why travel halfway around the world without knowing whether Kanye would actually be there? His story highlighted the unusual and sometimes unpredictable nature of dealing with West, particularly when international travel is involved.