Did Joe Budden Or Ja Rule Have The Better "It Up" Song? Fans Debate

BYGabriel Bras Nevares628 Views
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Usher's "Confessions" Album Release Party
Fabolous, Ja Rule and Joe Budden during Usher's "Confessions" Album Release Party at Boulevard in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage for Safilo USA/Getty Images)
Threads lit up with arguments for either "Pump It Up" or "Livin' It Up," two massive early 2000s hits for East Coast hip-hop.

Joe Budden and Ja Rule were two big figures in 2000s East Coast hip-hop, and they really represent the era in hindsight. Of course, the latter was certainly more commercially successful than the former, but they still inhabit rap culture today as emblematic rappers of the time. Thanks to a new post on the Joe Budden TV community on social media around Tuesday (February 20), fans of both are now debating which one had the better hit with "It Up" in the title. What wins: Budden's 2003 cut "Pump It Up" or Rule's 2001 record "Livin' It Up"? Moreover, fans seem split on the decision, and there was plenty of appreciation for both.

"Depends on the crowd," one fan shared in the Joe Budden and Ja Rule debate. "Pump it up hit on the dance floor but any other setting living it up get all ages moving." "Joe got it on this one (comfortably I might add) but man did Ja have a run," another conceded. "stop playin on Joe’s name lol. pump it up was/is WAY better," a user argued, with a big Ja fan adding: "Dawg you must've forgot the living it up hook vocals + the beat." Check out some more reactions and arguments in the comments of the post below.

Joe Budden's "Pump It Up" Or Ja Rule's "Livin' It Up"? Fans Debate Under Post Below

In other news, Ja Rule recently reflected on how he kind of regrets taking a break from music ahead of his comeback album. "Damn sitting here listening to my new album 12 songs in, it’s making me a lil sad I should’ve never stopped making music. I’m SORRY… #CWWTST." We wonder if Joe Budden shared this sentiment when it comes to his own career, but considering his wide media success and notoriety these days, it's probably not such a big regret.

Speaking of which, the former Everyday Struggle host is still going strong with his podcast. On he and his crew's latest episode, they reviewed Vultures, the first in a supposed series of collaborative albums from Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign. Regardless of that, let us know where you fall on the "Pump It Up" and "Livin' It Up" debate in the comments section down below. Also, log back into HNHH for more news and the latest updates on Ja Rule and Joe Budden.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.
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