Though Joe Budden‘s breakout single “Pump It Up” has occasionally been used as ammunition against him, those who remember growing up in the early millennium still hold love for the Just Blaze-produced banger. It’s easy to forget that the single stemmed from his full-length eponymous debut album, released seven-years ago to this day.

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Boasting tracks like the Busta Rhymes-assisted “Fire,” the lengthy “10 Mins,” and another Just Blaze collaboration in “Give Me A Reason,” the project served as a reasonably decent showcase of Budden’s abilities — albeit tailored heavily toward the mainstream.  Though Budden would go on to shed some of those habits on his ensuing Mood Muzik mixtapes, it remains an interesting starting point for one of the game’s esteemed lyricists. One that Budden himself, currently enjoying his run as a reigning media mogul, took to Instagram to celebrate.

“It’s called a journey because you have no idea what you’ll embark on,” he captions, alongside the Joe Budden album cover. “But you’ll know what to do not only by what you find, but by what those findings do to you. Happy Anniversary to me.” All things considered, it has been one hell of a ride for Jumpoff Joey, who has since provided countless gems whether as an emcee or a podcast personality. When all is said and done, we can only hope that the game starts recognizing Joe Budden for everything he has brought to the table. Happy anniversary, Joe!

Unlike ninety-nine percent of his fellow rappers, Joe Budden means it when he says "I'm retired." But despite having made one of the biggest about-faces in modern media, from lyrical elite to a prominent voice in hip-hop media, it's not easy to forget Budden's roots as an emcee. It's a problem he has faced on many an occasion, especially when it comes time for him to play the role of critic; no look further than his intense exchange with Jay Electronica following an admittedly scathing review of A Written Testimony. And for those who take back to rap, it always returns to "Pump It Up."

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For better or worse, Jumpoff Joey will be forever associated with his breakout hit. Unfairly labeled as a one-hit-wonder, Budden's catalog stretches far beyond the 2003 Just Blaze-produced single -- and yet it has somehow come to define him as an artist. Yet anybody who has watched Budden on one of his various platforms knows the man is as self-deprecating as they come. It's no wonder that upon finally reaching his breaking point, no doubt incited by an expansive stretch of quarantine-induced boredom, he returned to the place it all began.

"I’ve watched 7 movies and 3 docs & I’ve been to the fridge 9 times… I think it’s time i give y’all a live performance of Pump It Up on Instalive," he teases, Twitter, much to the delight of his fans. We can only hope that Joe isn't merely pulling our strings -- it goes without saying that the antics induced by seeing Joe Budden perform his iconic hit on Instagram Live would go a great way in boosting collective morale. Do it for the people, Joe. 

One revelation can make you see a song in an entirely different light. Way back in the Spring of 2003, Joe Budden gave the world his classic single “Pump It Up” that has been played hundreds of millions of times worldwide. The song is still a party favorite year-round, but unbeknownst to fans, Just Blaze reveals that the track was about…self-love...prior to a few lyrical changes that ended up being the finished product.

Just Blaze produced Joe Budden’s “Pump It Up” and during a recent appearance on Sole Collector, he talked about the beloved single. “You know the original version of ‘Pump It Up’ was about masturbation?” Just Blaze randomly asked. “You know how in the second verse he’s like, ‘My jump off doesn’t care if I go out so much.’ It originally was, ‘My hand doesn’t worry if I go out so much.” The hosts added that “Joe hates that song now” but also said, “That’s so Joe.”

“Maybe that explains why I loved it so much as a teenager,” one of the hosts added. Check out the full episode of Sole Collector with Just Blaze and groove to Budden’s “Pump It Up” below.