Joe Budden responds to claims that Jay-Z wanted $250,000 for a verse

nme.com:

Joe Budden has cleared up the rumours surrounding Jay-Z wanting Budden to pay him $250,000 to feature on a song.The song in question is ‘Pump It Up’, Joe Budden’s most popular track.

Since the song’s release in 2004, hip-hop fans have speculated that Jay-Z wanting a large payout is the reason why he failed to feature on the rapper-turned-media-personality’s remix.Whilst on the Drink Champs podcast, the 42-year-old confirmed the cash amount is a rumour, saying that Jay-Z’s demands were “big”: “I didn’t personally ask him.

I couldn’t personally speak to him.”He told rapper NORE that his A&R, Skane, was in conversations with Jay-Z and wasn’t sure how to deal with the rumour when it came out.He said that, at the time, he knew “that I don’t have 250 grand” to pay for the feature”.

The Roc Nation mogul was seemingly upset by this and released a diss track about Budden‘s over the ‘Pump It Up’ beat.He also mentioned Webb, the executive producer of his 2003 eponymous debut album, “put the battery in [his] back” in regards to HOV’s diss track: ” [He said], ‘You gon’ let him do that?