During a recent episode of The Joe Budden Podcast, Budden reacted to Hot 97 naming The Kid Mero as the new face of its morning block following the end of Ebro in the Morning.
The new program, Mornings with Mero, officially launched Jan. 13.
Budden said Mero’s deep ties to New York make the move logical. “He’s a New Yorker,” Budden said. “He knows the city, speaks the city and speaks to the city. He’s funny. That part makes sense.”
Joe budden podcast reacts to kid mero getting the hot 97 morning show position pic.twitter.com/ESoUHQvnO7
— joebuddenclips/fanpage (@chatnigga101) January 14, 2026
At the same time, Budden joked about the station’s decision to spotlight Mero as a solo headliner. “When they announced it, I was like, ‘That’s it?’” he said with a laugh. “Where everybody else at?”
He suggested the optics made it seem like a heavy lift for one person. “You’re putting a lot of pressure on one man,” Budden added.
Mero’s announcement has been widely welcomed.
“Mornings With Mero y’all! It’s your boy, The Kid Mero, the human durag flap. I will be with y’all faithfully every Monday through Friday, 6-10. The most consistent voice in your life. More consistent than your parents,” Mero said at the time. “Which is crazy to say as a radio host because you might have good parents. But if you got bad parents, I’m your daddy now!”