It’s fair to say that Russ and Joe Budden do not like each other. The two outspoken rappers have exchanged words online, on Joe Budden’s popular Youtube debate show Everyday Struggle, and — at least on Russ’ side of the tiff — in verse, with Russ delivering a few heated bars on the retaliatory “Think Twice.” While Joe has become something of a meme for his curmudgeonly aspect on the show, Russ clearly wasn’t ready to take his comments lying down when he snapped on “Think Twice.”
However, Joe himself, despite a reputation as a relatively fearsome battle rapper in his own right, deigned to avoid the battle entirely, stating simply that he was “retired.” Russ, ever the sparkplug, took the opportunity of his recent live Rap Radar interview with Elliott Wilson presented by Tidal to address Joe’s comments, applying lighter fluid to an already merrily-blazing flame.
“The crazy thing with Joe Budden… Joe Budden wants to play this whole, ‘I’m retired,’ like that was his choice. That’s that copout sh*t…. No, no, no, we retired you from our speakers and headphones, bro. What are you talking about? How you gonna say you’re ‘retired?’ When you were active, no one gave a f*ck. You did like 5K of your last album in the first week… Nobody’s checking for Joe Budden.”
Of course, only time will tell what the irascible Budden is going to have to say come morning, but one thing is for sure: This beef is far from finished. Check out the clip above — it’s already queued up to the quote in question for your convenience — for more on Russ stance on the rap industry rewarding “connections and f*ck sh*t” over talent, the persistent rumors that he himself is an industry plant, and just where the chip on his shoulder really came from.
