Joe Budden has been retired from rap for nearly seven years, as he’s become a force in the podcasting space, but don’t count out a return to the booth just yet.

Mouse Budden teased a clip on his Instagram Story on Tuesday (February 21) in the studio where he appeared to jokingly end his rapping hiatus.

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“Ya know what I mean with the beat playing. I got it, uhhhh. And we was once like — ayyy,” he facetiously rapped with a beat booming.

Fans had plenty to say about the New Jersey rhymer stepping back into the rap game in the humorous clip.

“Lol that’s definitely how his Rory and Mal diss starts. Shit been written for almost 2 years,” one person wrote while another added: “Joe misses that shit!”

The Slaughterhouse MC hasn’t released an album since 2016’s Rage & The Machine, which served as his eighth and final studio LP. The project debuted at No. 40 on the Billboard 200.

While he’s figured out another lucrative way to use the mic as a podcasting savant, Budden admitted in conversation with N.O.R.E. that he’s happy to see others unable to mimic his blueprint.

Joe Budden Reacts To 'Abbott Elementary' Podcast Shout-Out
Joe Budden Reacts To 'Abbott Elementary' Podcast Shout-Out

“You know what’s crazy? I’m looking at these rappers trying shows now, rappers from our era,” N.O.R.E. stated, “and they are so failing. They doing sports shows, they doing comedy shows … They talkin’ about, ‘Yo, I’m up. I’m just doing this for fun.’ No you are not!”

“Tell the truth: it’s great to see people fail,” Joe Budden interjected while N.O.R.E was speaking. “You can’t take the blueprint and hire different contractors. They sellin’ ass out here huh?”

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Budden was also recently critical of Gucci Mane’s A&R skills with his new 1017 Records roster seemingly unable to stay out of its own way and escape controversy and tragedy.

“So when I say Gucci Mane’s scouting needs to be under examination, it’s because this is now, what? 8, 9, 10? I don’t know,” he said. “A whole roster that is just suffering from the different strokes curse, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence anymore.”