Joe Budden Talks Shooting Down Kanye West's Request to Open Show For Him

by Daryl Nelson

Joe Budden recently responded to Eminem after Em called him a coward on a verse off Conway The Machine's 2019 song "Bang." Joe said because the alternative verse was leaked and it's a year old, he has no problem with it. 

The rapper turned podcast host seemingly moved on from the song and told a story about turning down Kanye West's request to open for him at a show. [Jump to 3:17 mark].

"It's not that I was passing on Kanye," said Joe on The Joe Budden Podcast. "I had a show in South Jersey, somewhere and I had to perform and this was at the height of 'Pump It Up.' So I was super, super late for this performance, in Jersey, my hometown. When I walked in, it's a sold-out crowd, like aggy 'cause I'm late. Chanting my name. I should have been on 40 minutes ago and I wasn't. I'm looking to run in, get something to drink, and hit the stage. I got to my dressing room or somewhere in there and Kanye is there and he says, 'Do you mind if I could rock. Just before you go out.'"

Joe said he told Ye no, that he couldn't open for him.  The Jersey native was then asked where Kanye was in his career at that time.

"It didn't matter what Kanye it was," he said. "I'm here to do a service and this crowd is aggy and I wouldn't even do that to you right now. The crowd is screaming 'Joe' and you don't have a record that anybody knows. This just isn't a great idea. I'm not sure that went over so well with him."

Do you miss hearing Joe Budden spit?