By K.B. Tindal
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer
A lot of people are upset, but Kendrick Lamar’s comments about being the king of New York were actually good for hip hop. There were several rappers who came out just to diss Kendrick Lamar. Regardless of their intentions, they brought their a-game to the record and it did well.
Joe Budden spoke out from the moment he heard the record and he has not stopped talking since then. He initially reached out to Styles P about the situation, only to be rejected. Brushing it all off, Joe Budden went into the lab and dissed Kendrick Lamar himself, since no one else from New York was going to.
Even though he represents Jersey City and helped put their hip hop scene on the map, this debate brought up an overlooked fact, Joe Budden is actually from Harlem. Despite his location, he is a New York rapper. Though he has not been mainstream with it, Joe has been one of the most-consistent rappers in the game.
Since 2003, Joe Budden has kept a steady flow of music out and it all started with his self-titled Def Jam debut album. Joe Budden then turned to the mixtape level and he has dropped eight variations of the Mood Muzik project. This has become his staple and helped him land his record deals and build his exposure. Outside of the music, Joe Budden has made a name for himself through the women he chooses to include in his life.
But, when it comes to the music, Joe Budden is considered to be one of the most-lyrical rappers in the game. Despite this, he is slept on for different reasons by most fans. His mainstream success is not like others from the area, but his consistency is unmatched and his releases are always met with pretty solid reviews. Only a few years ago, Kendrick Lamar could have been considered the Joe Budden of the West Coast.
In ten years, Joe Budden has dropped sixteen solo projects, including the albums and boasts collaborations with his Slaughterhouse family, Game, Fat Joe, and many other big names in hip hop. He has also boldly gone up against members of the Wu-Tang Clan and 50 Cent along with many other big names in the past. On his latest album, No Love Lost, Joe Budden proved he could go mainstream and have success with “She Don’t Put It Down” featuring Tank and Lil Wayne.
When it comes down to it, Joe Budden goes all out to defend his and he stepped up for New York when no one else would. With all that laid out on the table, is Joe Budden the king of New York?
Follow K.B. Tindal on Twitter @KBTindal.
