Joe Budden and Ja Rule fans have sparked a debate about who had the bigger song with ‘It Up’ in the title: Joe with “Pump It Up” in 2003 or Ja with “Livin’ It Up” in 2001?
A fan hit the Joe Budden TV community on Threads to pose the question on Tuesday (February 20), and the responses show an equal appreciation for both.
“pump it up is joes biggest hit for a reason,” one person wrote, while someone else added: “Pump it up wins the car test.”
Conversely, other replies included: “Livin it up that hook go crazy,” as well as, “Dawg you must’ve forgot the living it up hook vocals + the beat.”
Ultimately, some people feel they both do the job. “Depends on the crowd,” one fan wrote. “Pump it up hit on the dance floor but any other setting living it up get all ages moving.”
Relive both early aughts hits below.
These days, Joe Budden makes headlines for his hot takes on his podcast after putting the mic down some years back. Earlier this week, he reviewed Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign‘s Vultures 1 commenting that Ye’s rapping is an issue.
“This is some bad rapping on here. I’m only talking about Kanye West,” he said. “Freddie Gibbs went crazy. All the rappers I heard went crazy, except for Kanye West … He’s just chanting.”
Budden also said some of the songs on the album are “a little too funky” and “too Yeezus-ish” for his liking, but praised the overall production quality of Vultures 1.
“He showed his ass on the production. His production is unbelievable on here,” he said. “‘Carnival’ on down is nuts.”
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Budden picked out the YG-assisted, Juvenile-sampling “Do It” as a personal favorite, joking: “I’m still a little thot inside. Dawg, what a creative flip of ‘Back That Azz Up.’ I need to hear this in the strip club loud.”
He also praised the Chris Brown collaboration “Beg Forgiveness”: “I absolutely love this. I don’t care that this beat stays the same. This is crazy.”
Regardless of his thoughts, the album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 this week with 138,000 equivalent units.
