Contract shyt aside, why do nikkas talk like they really invented podcasting? Lol. Mal talking about hip hop started at a party like their the equivalent in the poddin' world, lol.
Idk about them specifically, but because most of their fans are ignorant to the headwinds podcasts were making even a decade before the pod, when Joe was still a dusthead rapper. So they followed him from his rap career over to ES with the viral shyt, left that and came into the podcast space and all they know next is Michelle and Rogan came after he did, so now he's a martyr and trailblazer.
Kinda like how they say Trump's main crowd is low informed. Same shyt here minus the white man bigotry.