The Biggest Loser

My president is Black but this post ain’t about that.

There will be plenty written about President Obama's inauguration today and I'm not quite sure that I can add anything new to the conversation. That being said, WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH JOE BUDDEN AND SAIGON?!?

Now, I'm always down to see a good scrap, but this shit makes no sense because I'm a fan of 'em both. When it comes to the bars few in the game can see Joey, if you can't agree to that then you need serious help. On the other hand Sai-Gitty is a dope songwriter and I have never heard a song from dude that I didn't like (I mean some are better than others, but dude has never really made a wack song. Too bad I can't say the same for Papoose). My point is both of these cats are super-talented, and severely overlooked by the industry. About a year ago I got a chance to sit in Bassline with Sai and Just Blaze as they played The Greatest Story Never Told for me. The hairs stood up on the back of my neck— the album was THAT good. It felt special; it felt like an occasion, it felt like a modern day classic. Now mind you I've only heard the album once and there have been changes since then (Sai holla at me, trust me homie I understand, even if you think I don't), but The Greatest Story... is exactly what Hip-hop needs right now. I was also privy to an early listening of Padded Room last fall. The tracks that Joey played that day were amazing ("Couldn't Help It" is that shit!!!!), but like Sai, Joe has since made changes to his album, so I'm not sure what fans will actually hear upon its release.

So here we have two artists, both representing that old New York aesthetic (yes, Joe I know you're Jersey, but NY is claiming you HA!), both deeply rooted in the art of MC'in and both stubborn as fuck. What started as a somewhat humorous, yet somewhat offensive line off of Joey's "Mood Muzik III" ("I'm out to hit and run like Saigon") is now a full-fledged rap beef. Now some skeptics claim it’s a publicity stunt for Joe's upcoming Padded Room and Sai's Warning Shots 2, but that's bullshit because the truth is a beef between these two benefits no one. Neither release will fly off the shelf.

Saigon and Joe Budden have more in common then they may think, seeing as how both were failed by the major label system (Def Jam and Atlantic LOST!) and the older generation of New York rappers at the same time. I mean when was the last time Jay really put someone out? Doesn't Diddy run a rap label? 50? It seems to me that Joey and Saigon would fare much better if they linked up, a collaboration is much more appealing than a beef these days. Shout to Slaughterhouse! Instead we have a war of words and when two titans clash, someone has to lose. No matter the outcome, one of these cats will end up with a blemish on their record and that's just bad for Hip-hop. Damn we stay losing! – Rob the Music Ed

P.S. I do have an opinion on who is winning this battle, but that’s not the point of the post so I’ll keep my thoughts on that to myself.