LL Cool J is not one to stay silent when it comes to his friends. This week, he defended Joe Budden after Yung Miami took a jab at Budden’s gold plaque for his hit “Pump It Up” from 2003.
Speaking with TMZ in New York City, LL Cool J was asked about Yung Miami’s social media post where she mocked Budden’s achievement. LL responded bluntly, “I mean, what can you say? Some people never go gold.”
To give some context, a gold plaque signifies 500,000 sales in the U.S. and is a big deal in the music industry. LL Cool J emphasized, “Of course it is. It’s amazing. You have artists that don’t go diamond ’til posthumously. It’s beautiful for him. I’m happy for Joe.”
The drama started when Joe Budden proudly displayed his gold plaque during an episode of his podcast, only for Yung Miami to respond with a string of laughing face emojis on X. Budden didn’t take this lightly and clapped back on his podcast, calling Yung Miami “the worst female rapper out there currently.” He didn’t hold back, adding, “Every female out there is wiping you down right now.”
Budden went on to criticize her standing in the music industry, saying, “If Complex were to do a list of where all the female rappers rate, Caresha, you would be last on the list. You would be drop dead last on that list.”
He also expressed his frustration with her career progression, “You are the worst female rapper out there currently and you don’t write your own stuff.” He described her work as “science projects put together by people and companies with the best of the best surrounding them for them to get further. But as a standalone? Nothing’s ever happened.”
Budden reminisced about the impact of “Pump It Up,” arguing that it had a more significant influence than anything Yung Miami has released. He warned, “So while you go on these social media rants and say that you were nine years old when ‘Pump It Up’ dropped and now you’re 30, you should be cautious of that because your record label today is saying to you that they’re not seeing any growth.”
Budden’s fiery response concluded with a harsh critique of Yung Miami’s place in the industry. Yung Miami has yet to respond to Budden’s comments.
In this ongoing feud, LL Cool J’s support adds weight to Budden’s argument. Whether Yung Miami will respond or let it slide remains to be seen.
