Joe Budden thinks the bar needs to be raised in Hip Hop, and believes one way to do that is to make rappers take a “Hip Hop SAT” before a label signs them.
The former Slaughterhouse lyricist appeared as a guest on the Earn Your Leisure podcast, where he and co-hosts Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings spoke about the oversaturation of the podcast market.
AD LOADING...
The discussion led Budden to admit he has similar qualms about the rap game and wishes the barrier for entry was higher for new MCs entering the industry.
“I’ve always felt like there needs to be, like, a Hip Hop SAT test that you take before you can get a record deal,” he said. “Some of you n-ggas gotta answer some questions, like: How do you hold a microphone? They’re some of the basics you gotta know.”
He added: “If everybody just know everything with no consequence, no trial and error, then everybody’s just doing the same shit! No! And then you’re muddying the water.”
Budden’s comments sparked a healthy debate among rap fans on social media, with some agreeing with his suggestion.
“Facts. Can we make signing real artist a thing again instead of chasing numbers. A&Rs really out here judging MUSIC artist by their IG following,” one fan wrote on Instagram, while another added: “It would serve a good purpose to help young rappers learn more about the culture and where the rap game originated from.”
AD LOADING...
Others, however, disagreed. “This n!66@$ reaching. hip hop comes from poverty not academics,” one fan rebutted, while another chimed in with: “That’s why they called this n-gga old and a hater,” along with a crying face emoji.
Joe Budden isn’t the first rapper to call for a structural overhaul of the rap game. Last year, Freddie Gibbs “respectfully” suggested Hip Hop should take a page out of the NBA’s playbook and introduce a rap G-League.
Perhaps the most famous example, however, is when JAY-Zonce declared that Hip Hop needs a board. Hov’s comment came during a 2006 interview with Funk Flex and was in response to Jim Jones continually dissing him on wax.
“We need, like, a Hip Hop board to approve certain things,” he said. “Who is Jim Jones? You know, to be saying something about me? If we’re looking at it as far as career accomplishments or lyrical skill … that’s like the ninth man off the bench sitting there shouting, ‘You a bum’ to the superstar on court putting up 50 every night.”
AD LOADING...
Despite the continued calls for standards to be raised in rap, there are still plenty of established Hip Hop stars who are continually working on their craft. Last year, Saweetie revealed she had been attending an artist development bootcamp to improve various aspects of her game.
“I’m going to focus on what I struggle with — I struggle with breathing control,” she told Apple Music. “I’m going to work on my dance move, my details, all that good stuff, my body, my stamina, my everything.”
