Joe Budden is no stranger to beef. Since the beginning of his career, the New Jersey rapper has had public disagreements with Jay-Z, Game, Ransom, Wu-Tang Clan, and others. Budden sat down with Jenny Boom Boom of Hot 93.7 to explain how beef among East Coast rappers may have had a significantly negative influence on East Coast music.
“I don’t think that [beef] is the only thing that has contributed to the downfall or demise of ‘East Coast Hip Hop,'” he said. “It’s too many different things. It has much to do with the artists, much to do with the labels, much to do with the deejays, much to do with the fans, much to do with retail, much to do with television [and] videos. Are there video channels anymore? What I think is happening, and I could be totally wrong, is I think the business part started to outweigh the music part, and that’s the main concern for all parties involved.”
While he failed to mention the beefs that he’d been involved with in the past, he did say that he thinks fighting among rappers is “corny.”
“How corny can we be? I’m so glad that the whole ‘Hate everyone, beef with everyone” phase is seemingly over. I say seemingly because I’m not sure. But people are just about getting money and taking care of their families and making great music now.”
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As a sidenote, Budden was asked who he thinks is running the Hip Hop industry and making great music. He offered six rappers who he feels are on top of the game.
“I mean, can we bunch everybody in Young Money together?” he said laughing. “We’ve got Drake, Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne. Em[inem], Kanye, Jay-Z. That’s six. That might be it. We could argue the legends [like] Outkast, [Andre] 3000, but those are the six superstars in Hip Hop right now. And that’s a shame. That’s despicable even. Not to knock them, but there’s been times in Hip Hop where we’ve had some people at the top who, it was embarrassing. Clearly Hip Hop is in good hands with these people.”
Joe Budden’s Mood Muzik 4: A Turn 4 The Worst hit shelves earlier this month.
