Undisclosed sources close to Shady Records have revealed that Eminem‘s label is in talks of signing Jersey City, New Jersey rapper Joe Budden. The move might be shocking to some, as Budden is remembered for lyrically sparring with then-Shady-related artists in the past such as 50 Cent and The Game.
With the release of his Mood Muzik 3 at the close of 2007, Budden attacked Def Jam and its then-president Jay-Z for holding the rapper’s career back. Subsequently, Budden was released from contract after being since to the label for over six years shortly before Jay-Z left. Despite three acclaimed mixtapes, the aforementioned last of which will be sold in retail stores through Amalgam Entertainment, Budden has not released an album since 2003’s self-titled release which reached gold status.
If a deal does go through with Shady, Budden will be an established label acquisition, joining 50 Cent and The Alchemist. In the past, Shady had courted signing both Mobb Deep and Pharoahe Monch, but failed to reach agreement. Talks of the deal will likely be halted to yesterday’s reported hospitalization of Eminem.
HipHopDX will keep you updated.
