After acting as a co-host
on New York’s Hot 97 Morning Show for the past few months, rapper Joe Budden
announced he is quitting the position to focus on releasing his sophmore album.
"I had to go back
and make sure that I was pleased with the music I had put on the album,"
Budden said. "I wanted it to be an improvement from the last album."
Since gaining experience in the radio industry, Budden said he realized the
medium was similar in concept to his day job as an emcee.
"Its just entertainment
and images," Budden explained. "You have your people that play the
good guy bad guy role. I got there and caused some controversy. When I got there,
the ratings were in the basement. I don’t hate Jamaicans or Puerto Ricans
or anything, but the ratings went up. That’s all I gave a f### about when
I got there."
Budden said that Def Jam
hoped to release the follow up to his self-titled debut in August, but he decided
to strengthen the quality of the music with hopes of topping his first album.
"I could have put out
an album in August and it would not have been to my liking," Budden said.
"I’m not trying to be caught up with the first weeks sales or the
politics of it, I’m trying to be caught up with the music. I went back,
made some changes and with the change in power [at Def Jam] I dealt with some
things."
His co-hosts Miss Jones,
who recently returned to New York airwaves after a stint in Philadelphia, Ms.
Info and Darnell Rollins held a celebrity roast of Budden, where they played
some of his more salacious and potentially offensive outtakes.
Earlier this year Joe and
DJ Envy, who is also on Hot 97’s morning show, dropped a mixtape, "The
Best of Joe Budden," which featured some new songs as well as some of his
favorite tracks.
Joe Budden’s untitled sophomore
set is due on Def Jam in October.