Seen a lot of “interesting views” on the latest Joe Budden diss track, Making of A Murderer Part 1, in which he names Drake and invites him to blatant, verbal combat rather than the subliminal route that he has taken for years now. Joe made his track based on an IG clip for a song that never released and because of how he felt about 4PM in Calabasas.

Sidenote: I’ve always felt the last verse on “Thank You” on Blueprint 3 was about Joe Budden. Reason is Joe Budden’s “Padded Room” album dropped in 2009 before BP3 and it didn’t do too well critically or sales wise. If you know their Def Jam history and that 42 hour period Joe was signed to Roc-A-Fella and the Mood Muzik series, you feel me.

Which brings me to the overall point I want to make today. The word relevant is ruining hip-hop because the world relevant isn’t used by fans of hip-hop culture. It’s used by people who enjoy the moment and participate in what the new hot thing is or Pop culture fans. Hip-Hop has influenced Pop so much that the lines are blurred.

I see statements like “Joe diss Drake to stay relevant”. That’s false. Drake was and probably still is a fan Joe Budden. Joe Budden’s debut album went Gold, he has a Grammy nomination and he’s had a song play in a blockbuster movie and in the NBA Finals over 10 years ago. Joe Budden has one of the most successful mixtapes series in hip-hop period. How in the realm of hip-hop is he not relevant?

Relevant in hip-hop has nothing to do with the moment and everything to do with your contribution to the world of hip-hop culture.

Rakim is forever relevant because he made “Paid In Full” and that’s just the start of his relevance.
Outkast is forever relevant. They are the only rap group to have 2 Diamond albums.
Snoop Dogg is forever relevant. Because nobody was gang banging on wax before he show up.
DJ Premier is forever relevant. The sound he created with Guru is still wanted by the best in hip-hop today
Diddy would be forever relevant even if he did nothing after the year 2000.

Many men and women in this culture stay forever relevant because of the seed they planted and what it grew into. All these emotional rappers on somber beats are Joe Budden babies. Listen to 10 Minutes, Calm Down and Walk With Me. Those songs came out 13 years ago. Think about where you were in life 13 years ago when Joe was making that music. Some of you didn’t even know you would be a fan of hip-hop then.

Who’s irrelevant? The people that do more copying than creating in the culture. The people rapping and attempting to cash in on a demographic because “it’s cool”. Those of you that hopped in the game to make a few dollars verses making something that the next generation can grow from. That’s who’s irrelevant.

This era of young people who base rap respect on an attribute sheet of what happened in the last 12 months is hurting the respect of the rapper and rap music. We as fans should never speak ill on anyone who created a lane for a whole new generation of artist, to thrive and exceed beyond there previous success. A little knowledge of listening to what came before the day you became a fan would help that.