Joe Budden Admits ‘I Didn’t Handle Myself Well’ When Jay-Z Became President Of Def Jam,

December 29, 2023
Joe Budden recalls how upset he was when he learned Jay-Z became his boss at Def Jam Records back in 2004.
Joe Budden recalls how upset he was when Jay-Z became his boss at Def Jam Records back in 2004.
The rapper-turned-podcast-host was an artist on Def Jam when L.A. Reid appointed Jay-Z as president and CEO of the company in December 2004. Looking back at the moment, Budden admits to being anything but happy about Jay’s powerful new role at the time.
“This was the first time that a rapper, our peer, was calling the shots, in charge of DMX’s release date and LL [Cool J’s] release date, and none of us took that well. And I really didn’t take it well,” Budden recalled on The Pivot Podcast. “I didn’t handle myself well at all.”
“Every interview that they booked for me, I kicked their back in,” he continued. “Every chance I got in front of a microphone, I had just disparaging things to say about people who, ultimately, were maybe trying to help me. Even if they weren’t trying to help me, if I would’ve helped myself, I would have been in a different predicament. But I didn’t. Gas on the fire.”
It was a history-making move 20 years ago when Jay-Z went from being an artist of Island Def Jam Music Group to running the company. At the time, IDJ had just bought the remaining 50% stake in Jay-Z’s Roc-A-Fella Records from the rapper and his business partners Damon Dash and Kareem “Biggs” Burke, Billboard reports.
There was a bidding war for Jay-Z’s contract, which ultimately led to Reid appointing Hova as president and CEO of the famed record label.
“After 10 years of successfully running Roc-a-Fella. Shawn has proven himself to be an astute businessman, in addition to the brilliant artistic talent that the world sees and hears,” Reid said at the time. “I can think of no one more relevant and credible in the hip hop community to build upon Def Jam’s fantastic legacy and move the company into its next groundbreaking era.”
“I have inherited two of the most important brands in hip-hop, Def Jam and Roc-a-Fella,” Jay-Z said of the monumental venture. “I feel this is a giant step for me and the entire artistic community.”
Meanwhile, Joe Budden and other Def Jam artists were left feeling salty about Hov’s big business move.
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