The Queens-born legend, Joe Budden, has solidified his status as a podcaster extraordinaire, but his musical prowess has also earned a recent accolade. The iconic rapper was presented with a Gold plaque for his 2003 hit “Pump It Up” by none other than LL Cool J himself.
But the real punchline came when Budden appeared as a guest on his own podcast, The Joe Budden Podcast. He decided to make his visit a memorable one by bringing a surprise gift for his co-hosts – a Golden plaque intended for them. As the tension built, Budden opened a cardboard box, revealing the shiny treasure. The room erupted in applause, with his co-hosts snapping photos of the touching moment.
Of course, the lads couldn’t resist poking fun at the situation, egging Joe on to bust a move to celebrate. “Y’all playing, that took a long time,” he replied with a chuckle. “Great, nice, I’ll take it. A humbling moment.” As his friends clapped and asked where he planned to display his new treasure, Budden shrugged, “I gotta figure it out.” He extended his gratitude to LL Cool J and joked about shedding a “thug tear” – much to the amusement of his co-hosts.
For those who may be new to the game, “Pump It Up” was the lead single from Joe Budden’s self-titled debut album, released back in 2003. The track not only achieved moderate success on the Billboard Hot 100 chart but also found its way onto the soundtracks of films like 2 Fast 2 Furious, You Got Served, and Madden NFL 2004.
Fast forward to last August when “Pump It Up” earned its well-deserved Gold certification from the RIAA. While the feat was met with some good-natured jokes – “Ain’t no way. That song should be diamond by now” – it’s undeniable that Joe Budden’s legacy continues to forge ahead, cementing his spot as a hip-hop legend. As he humbly put it, “That’s nice, I will take it.”
