Rumor has it that Jay-Z turned down this track from Just Blaze prior to Joe Budden grabbing it for his lead off single from his self titled debut album [download set].
The track sounds like something that could have fit on disc one of The Blueprint²: The Gift & The Curse.
Jay jumped on the instrumental of “Pump It Up” at the end of 2003 for his S. Carter Collection Mixtape mixtape]. I’m taking that Joe Budden noticed that Jay killed the track and wanted to go in over it again. Now youtube has a video up that says Joe Budden’s freestyle to “Pump It Up” is a diss towards Jay-Z (video) but I don’t buy that. We all know that Joe Budden is a competitive person and probably wanted to grab his track back from Jay (assuming I am). Nothing more nothing less to me.
Jay’s verse is 10x’s better than the O.G. “Pump It Up.” Now the two freestyles is something different. Jay weaves in and out on the track with such comfort and confidence with lines like:
“Hovi baby you Kobe, maybe Tracy McGrady/Matter fact you Harold Miner, Jr Rider/Washed up on marijuana/Even worse you a Pervis Ellis/You worthless fella/You ain’t no athlete you Shawn Bradley/I ain’t talkin to nobody in particular.”
Jump off Joe isn’t a slouch on the track either (word to DJTommyIIGunz):
“You can give it back now/All these rappers is cookin crack now/Took the realness out the game its time to put it back in/The fans finally got it understood they just yappin, while Joeys in the hood like madden”
In 2003/2004 Jay was on the top of his game. Jay > Joey (by a hair).
Who Spit It Better? Hit the cut for the poll….
Kool and the Gang: “Soul Vibrations” [download]
From the album: Music is the Message (1971)
Joe Budden: “Pump It Up”
From the album: Joe Budden (2003)
Produced by Just Blaze
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Joe Budden: “Pump It Up” (Freestyle) [download]
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Jay-Z: “Pump It Up” (Freestyle) [download]
From the album: S. Carter Collection Mixtape (2003)
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
yeah, this was a pretty dope back and forth.
Hov came nice on it
I would like to hear from whom ever voted for OG “Pump It Up.” Just want to hear the reasoning behind that. Jay killed on this joint. Joey is almost equally nice.
When Joe Budden worries about rhyming instead of the other stuff…he is good. He lets his emotions get in the way of good sense.