Joe Budden almost made it through the final weeks of 2024 without any controversy. On Monday (Dec. 30), the Edgewater Police Department in New Jersey issued a statement confirming that the “Pump It Up” rapper had been charged with lewdness after allegedly being spotted outside his apartment complex naked at 7:21 a.m. ET.

The incident happened on Dec. 4 after a neighbor with two daughters reported seeing a man attempting to enter the Edgewater building through the keypad. Authorities were dispatched to the scene, but no arrest was made.

Not the ideal way to start the New Year, but Budden seemingly responded to the headlines on Tuesday (Dec. 31) afternoon. Taking to his Instagram Stories, the Harlem native shared a meme of former NBA player Jeff Teague smirking while holding up his phone.

Attorneys for the rapper-turned-podcaster have since slammed EPD for releasing details surrounding the case. "The allegations against Mr. Budden are a minor charge, not even resulting in an arrest. A charge Mr. Budden is looking forward to beating in court on the merits, not in the press,” Nima Ameri told TMZ. “The Chief's comments are reckless and, in our opinion, racially motivated.”

Ameri further explained, “Our research has not shown a single press release on a disorderly person charge on the police website this year. His choice to single out Mr. Budden in our opinion is self-motivated and based off of Mr. Budden’s race and celebrity status."

Earlier in the month, the “Joe Budden Podcast” returned to co-host Parks Vallely’s basement, leaving many to assume the rapper was actually forced out of their previous studio. “I just sleptwalked somewhere I shouldn’t have sleptwalked,” he hinted at the legal ordeal during episode 786. “Nobody could go through this stuff but me. It’s only me. So you gotta deal with what comes with that. You would’ve never guessed it.”