Kendrick Lamar did rap music a favor last week. Although it’s been one of the best summers for the genre in a long time, with new releases from not only new artists like J. Cole, Big Sean and Drake, but also from Jay Z and Busta Rhymes, there was still something missing. Hip-hop has always been a competitive art form, but that sense of competition has been absent. However, with one verse on Big Sean’s “Control,” Lamar completely changed hip-hop’s outlook for the better. And once he declared his ‘control’ of rap music, there were sure to be a host of responses from other rappers.
There have been retorts from a few like Joell Ortiz, Papoose and, most notably, Lupe Fiasco. Now, the latest person to respond to Lamar is Joe Budden. According to vibe.com:
“Warning: This Joe Budden ‘Control’ response ‘ain’t for the self-proclaimed legends that nobody wants to hear from.’ The Love & Hip Hop 3 star slaughters on his response to Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Control’ verse that was heard around the hip-hop world this week.”
Budden doesn’t take a direct approach to this diss track, yet he pursues a more tactical route to address Kendrick’s lyrics. As reported by complex.com:
“Budden doesn’t diss Kendrick Lamar here. In fact, he says ‘This ain’t at Kendrick Lamar/The n*gga Kendrick got bars/I heard his sh*t and wasn’t offended at all.’ However, he does dispute the ‘king of New York’ claim, saying ‘You might as well as spit on Biggie’s grave/Couldn’t let that slip away.’ Budden does happen to address other rappers, however: ‘This ain’t for bandwagon fans sit y’all asses in the same spot/Y’all the same n*ggas that made Trinidad James hot.’ Joe closes the verse off in emphatic fashion: ‘This is lightweight, put the bucks up/’Cause if we’re talking bars a lot of y’all should shut the f*ck up.”
Not since Jay Z stole his shine on “Pump It Up,” has Joe Budden been this relevant. As long as this challenge stays on wax, this is rap at its finest. Take a listen to Joe Budden’s “Control” response and add your comment below.
