The hip-hop world is no stranger to drama, but this latest feud between Dame Dash and Joe Budden has everyone talking. At the heart of it all is a question that’s sparking heated debates: Was Joe Budden really a Roc-A-Fella artist? Dame Dash insists he was, but Budden vehemently denies it. And this is the part most people miss—it’s not just about labels; it’s about legacy, recognition, and the blurred lines of hip-hop history.
Dame Dash, no stranger to controversy, recently made waves by calling out artists-turned-podcasters, specifically Joe Budden. He claimed Budden was once part of the Roc-A-Fella family, a statement that didn’t sit well with Budden. In a fiery response on his podcast, Budden set the record straight—or so he thought. ‘I was Roc-A-Fella for 79 seconds, and I keep it a secret,’ he said, emphasizing his brief and unremarkable association with the label. ‘I didn’t release an album, drop a song, or even get a Roc-A-Fella coffee cup. I didn’t get a Roc-A-Fella penny.’ Budden’s message was clear: leave him out of Roc-A-Fella conversations.
But here’s where it gets controversial. Dame Dash fired back, revealing a behind-the-scenes story that complicates Budden’s narrative. In an interview with Cam Capone News, Dame explained that while he and Kareem ‘Biggs’ Burke voted to bring Budden into the Roc-A-Fella fold, Jay-Z vetoed the decision. ‘Just because I was CEO doesn’t mean I could make moves unilaterally,’ Dame clarified. ‘It was a business thing, not a personal favor.’ He even claimed that the money Budden received wasn’t from his own pocket but from Roc-A-Fella’s coffers. ‘So yes, he was a Roc-A-Fella,’ Dame insisted, ‘even if he never got recognized as one because it was over.’
This back-and-forth raises a bigger question: Does a brief, unofficial association with a label count as part of an artist’s legacy? Budden’s stance is understandable—he doesn’t want to be tied to a brand he feels he never truly represented. But Dame’s perspective highlights the complexities of the music industry, where deals can fall through, and artists can be caught in the middle. Is Budden right to distance himself, or does Dame have a point about the technicalities of the situation?
What do you think? Is Joe Budden a Roc-A-Fella artist, or is he justified in wanting to be left out of the conversation? Let’s keep the debate going in the comments—this is one hip-hop drama that’s far from over.
