Joe Budden and Skillz have gotten into a heated argument over J. Cole apologizing to Kendrick Lamar for dissing him.
The issue started when Budden posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the “streets need a body,” expressing his disapproval over Cole extending an olive branch to his rap rival.
Taking a swipe at the former Slaughterhouse MC, who retired from music in 2018, Skillz replied with: “Wild take coming from a rapper who never caught one.”
Things escalated from there with Budden hitting back: “Now Skillz…… there is NO LIVING BREATHING person that has you as a better MC than me. & YOU can’t career shame a mosquito with a mixtape. And the one time a year ppl wanted to hear from you got stolen from you. Go be with your family.”
Skillz, also known for his Hip Hop Confessions podcast, retorted: “Now Joseph? I have never been punched in the face for any sub par bars either. You have taken more RAP/LIFE L’s than any rapper from Jersey. Go be Wendy Williams bro.”
The Virginia native also mocked Budden over his pivot from rapping to podcasting: “And if YOU WERE SUCH AN AMAZING RAPPER in your PRIME? Why you become a podcaster?!? You cant ever talk bars with me.”
Wild take coming from a rapper who never caught one. 🤦🏾♂️ https://t.co/mNH8WFnFlR
— Mad Skillz (@SkillzVa) April 8, 2024
Now Skillz…… there is NO LIVING BREATHING person that has you as a better MC than me. & YOU can’t career shame a mosquito with a mixtape. And the one time a year ppl wanted to hear from you got stolen from you. Go be with your family. https://t.co/YA4vjnetNY
— Joe Budden (@JoeBudden) April 8, 2024
😂 Now Joseph? I have never been punched in the face for any sub par bars either 🤷🏾♂️ You have taken more RAP/LIFE L’s than any rapper from Jersey. Go be Wendy Williams bro https://t.co/gwcJIiB7jT
— Mad Skillz (@SkillzVa) April 8, 2024
And if YOU WERE SUCH AN AMAZING RAPPER in your PRIME? Why you become a podcaster?!? 🤣🤣🤣🤣 You cant ever talk bars with me. pic.twitter.com/XEFvFowW5m
— Mad Skillz (@SkillzVa) April 8, 2024
Skillz also exchanged barbs with Joe Budden’s podcast co-host Officially Ice, who labeled him a hypocrite for also having a podcast.
The From Where??? MC fired back: “ICE? Find me one ep where Im talkin about current gossip… i talk hip hop on my pod…thats it. You think I care about what sexxy redd wore last week??”
Ice responded: “Bro I’m just saying. You said son became a podcaster…as a podcaster. And if we keeping it a buck, ya description says u have folks come on to confess their secrets…know who does that? Gossip shows lol.”
Skillz then defended his podcast, saying: “I feel u ice respectfully but ….you keep bypassing the word HIP HOP tho [crying face emojis] ..thats what my ish is about. Not what yall do.”
Skillz…fam…What u talkin bout bruh??? You gotta chill dawg. 😂 https://t.co/qK7T6pVBjcpic.twitter.com/SIUoD0xXJq
— Hielo (@OfficiallyIce) April 8, 2024
ICE? Find me one ep where Im talkin about current gossip… i talk hip hop on my pod…thats it. You think I care about what sexxy redd wore last week?? 🤣🤣 https://t.co/csAdOadj2r
— Mad Skillz (@SkillzVa) April 8, 2024
Bro I’m just saying. You said son became a podcaster…as a podcaster. And if we keeping it a buck, ya description says u have folks come on to confess their secrets…know who does that? Gossip shows lol
— Hielo (@OfficiallyIce) April 8, 2024
😂😂😂😂😂 I feel u ice respectfully but ….you keep bypassing the word HIP HOP tho 😂😂😂 ..thats what my ish is about. Not what yall do.
— Mad Skillz (@SkillzVa) April 8, 2024
The Joe Budden Podcast personality then pointed out: “I’m really not. Go back and look at what I initially replied to. The words ‘hip-hop’ were nowhere in that tweet. You moved the goalpost afterwards.”
Things settled down when Skillz said: “Touche I did,” to which Ice responded with salute and handshake emojis.
Skillz also found time to take a shot at Uncle Murda after an X user claimed the former G-Unit rapper had upstaged him regarding his annual “Rap Up” song series.
He said: “And yall can miss wit that rap up talk when I was just on BET last year doing it for the culture. And I aint heard from lil buddy since this happened,” linking to his Uncle Murda diss song “Murda Gram.”
He added: “You out yo mind if you thought he could out bar me.”
Joe Budden and Skillz are from the only figures to have weighed in on J. Cole’s controversial apology to Kendrick Lamar, which came after they traded shots on “Like That” and “7 Minute Drill.”
50 Cent, who is no stranger to rap beef himself, appeared to be unimpressed by Cole backing down and publicly reached out to the Dreamville rapper.
Alongside a screenshot of the North Carolina native’s comments, 50 wrote on Instagram: “WTF how I miss this, @realcoleworld call my phone [phone emoji] right now!”
