Joe Budden<\/a> has weighed in on Cardi B<\/a>‘s latest single, “Imaginary Playerz,”<\/a> and he isn’t holding back.<\/p>\n On the newest episode of The Joe Budden Podcast, the veteran rapper-turned-podcaster critiqued Cardi’s decision to sample Jay-Z’s classic Imaginary Players, arguing that the song’s legacy made it the wrong canvas for her delivery.<\/p>\n “She shouldn’t do that again,” Budden said. “Don’t take any East Coast top three, four rapper beat, classic song, and redo that. … We gonna shout out the writers. The writers killed. This is not about the writers [\u2026] The bars are there. That wasn’t enough.”<\/p>\n JEALOUSY CD SINGLE<\/p>\n Offset | Official Store<\/p>\n JEALOUSY CD SINGLE<\/a><\/p>\n $4.98<\/p>\n In My Lifetime Vol 1 2LP<\/p>\n uDiscover Music<\/p>\n In My Lifetime Vol 1 2LP<\/a><\/p>\n $32.99<\/p>\n Still Over It’ 2LP<\/p>\n Interscope Records<\/p>\n Still Over It’ 2LP<\/a><\/p>\n $39<\/p>\n In My Lifetime Vol.1 CD<\/p>\n uDiscover Music<\/p>\n In My Lifetime Vol.1 CD<\/a><\/p>\n $13.98<\/p>\n COMPLEX SHOP:<\/b> Shop the brands you love, anytime and anywhere. Uncover what’s next. Buy. Collect. Obsess.<\/a><\/p>\n Budden explained that while Cardi’s lyrics held up, her execution didn’t match the weight of Jay-Z’s original: “That delivery, those punch-ins, how choppy that was \u2026 ‘Imaginary Players,’ for y’all that wasn’t there, Hov, when that dropped, was a much better rapper than that.<\/p>\n It was just fly because of the cadence and the flow and what he was saying, his aura and voice control. Cardi is in the same pitch, same tone, sounding choppy, not smooth. Bars are there, but this is not the beat for that.”<\/p>\n During his explanation, Budden even played an alternate fan edit circulating on X where Cardi’s vocals were laid over Junior M.A.F.I.A.’s “Get Money” instrumental, which he said sounded “much better.”<\/p>\n “That’s because ‘Get Money’ doesn’t come with the flow and the aura, it’s very different,” he explained. “It’s only the ‘Imaginary Players’ beat that’s making her sound like you shouldn’t be on here. I used to have a rule when I was rapping, some beats just stay, you got it, we don’t need to do that.”<\/p>\n Budden also suggested that the commentary around Cardi’s new song wouldn’t be as strong if it had been released as a freestyle rather than as a single for her new album.<\/p>\n Despite Budden’s feelings, “Imaginary Playerz” has Jay’s single spiking in popularity. Spotify announced<\/a> Hov’s classic saw a 305% increase in streams between Aug. 15 and 17.<\/p>\n ComplexCon returns to Las Vegas on October 25\u201326, 2025, with over 300 brands and live performances by Young Thug, YEAT & Friends, Peso Pluma, Central Cee, Ken Carson, and more. Get your tickets now.<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Lick or Sum \/ Tomorrow 2 7<\/p>\n Interscope Records<\/span> Lick or Sum \/ Tomorrow 2 7″ Vinyl<\/span> $14<\/span> <\/a><\/p>\n ,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Offset – Set It Off – CD<\/p>\n COMPLEX<\/span> Offset – Set It Off – CD<\/span> $13.98<\/span> <\/a><\/p>\n ,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Jay-Z Unplugged Explicit CD<\/p>\n uDiscover Music<\/span> Jay-Z Unplugged Explicit CD<\/span> $13.98<\/span> <\/a><\/p>\n ,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n The Emancipation of Mimi: 20th Anniversary Edition 5LP<\/p>\n uDiscover Music<\/span> The Emancipation of Mimi: 20th Anniversary Edition 5LP<\/span> $249.98<\/span> <\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Emanny Throws Object at Marc Lamont Hill, Knocks Over His Coffee During Joe Budden Podcast<\/span><\/p>\n ,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Joe Budden Has Wild Time at WWE Raw: ‘What the F**k Is Going On?’<\/span><\/p>\n ,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Metro Boomin Shuts Down Joe Budden Smoke Talk, Says He’s a ‘Big Fan’ of ‘JBP’<\/span><\/p>\n Dame Dash Accused of Teaming Up With Girlfriend to Hide Assets, Avoid $800,000 Payout in Court Loss<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Klay Thompson Gushes Over Megan Thee Stallion’s Catfish and Spaghetti: ‘Best Thing I’ve Ever Tasted’<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<\/span><\/div>\n
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