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

BYGabriel Bras NevaresPublished on February 23, 2024951 Views

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.

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About The Author

Gabriel Bras Nevares

Gabriel Bras Nevares is a music and pop culture news writer for HotNewHipHop. He started in 2022 as a weekend writer and, since joining the team full-time, has developed a strong knowledge in hip-hop news and releases. Whether it’s regular coverage or occasional interviews and album reviews, he continues to search for the most relevant news for his audience and find the best new releases in the genre. What excites him the most is finding pop culture stories of interest, as well as a deeper passion for the art form of hip-hop and its contemporary output. Specifically, Gabriel enjoys the fringes of rap music: the experimental, boundary-pushing, and raw alternatives to the mainstream sound. As a proud native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, he also stays up-to-date with the archipelago’s local scene and its biggest musical exponents in reggaetón, salsa, indie, and beyond. Before working at HotNewHipHop, Gabriel produced multiple short documentaries, artist interviews, venue spotlights, and audio podcasts on a variety of genres and musical figures. Hardcore punk and Go-go music defined much of his coverage during his time at the George Washington University in D.C. His favorite hip-hop artists working today are Tyler, The Creator, Boldy James, JPEGMAFIA, and Earl Sweatshirt.