Joe Budden Says Jay Z’s “B-Sides Freestyle” Was “Damage Control” + Defends Spotify & Apple (AUDIO)

JOEY: SMEAR CAMPAIGNS ARE BUSINESS… YOU’RE COMPETITORS WOULD TRY TO KNOCK YOU THE F*CK OUT OF HERE

(AllHipHop News) Jay Z’s ongoing business battle with streaming competitors Apple, Spotify, and Google has been in the headlines for weeks. The Hip Hop mogul’s purchase and re-launch of the Tidal platform has garnered criticism from the public, and rival companies have reportedly launched efforts to halt its success. Jay even alleged other companies are running a “smear campaign” against Tidal.

[ALSO READ: Spotify Chairman Martin Lorentzon: “I Got 99 Problems – Jay Z Ain’t One”]

Jay fired back at the naysayers during his B-Sides concert in New York City over the weekend. The Brooklyn born emcee spit a freestyle which included direct shots at Spotify and Google owned YouTube. He even questioned consumers on why they are willing to repeatedly purchase iPhones and Nike sneakers but not spend money on music.

Joe Budden addressed Jay Z’s “B-Sides Freestyle” on his podcast this week. The Slaughterhouse member took issue with some of the points his former label boss made in the verse.

Budden said:

[Jay] made mention of [Nike co-founder] Phil Knight and [Apple co-founder] Steve Jobs. What he alluded to was that he faces a different type of oppression because of the color of his skin. Now while he might, I’m not certain that that’s true.

I think smear campaigns are business. I think the streaming business is very lucrative and beneficial today. And I think as a new person coming in, your competitors would be trying to get you the f*ck out of here. That’s one.

Two, as far as Steve Jobs and we bought nine iPhones and as far as we bought all those sneakers and Phil Knight’s a f###### trillionaire – the part that he left out was the iPhone at the time was considered the best product on the market by many. Steve Jobs didn’t go to anybody and say, “Hey we’re not getting all of our money, so you should purchase this.”

Nike is considered by many to be the best sneaker on the market. It just so happened that today Tidal is not considered that. But you shouldn’t be considered that in your fourth month of business. I don’t think anything is happening that, as wise as a businessman that he is, he shouldn’t have anticipated…

None of this stuff should come as a shocker to him which is why it’s a bit alarming to me that so much damage control continues to be done. I think the freestyle was damage control.

Jay and Joe have a complicated history. Budden partially blamed Jay, then Def Jam president, for the lack of success while at the company. The two also exchanged shots at each other on records, most famously on Joe’s “Talk To Em” and Jay’s “Reminder.”

[ALSO READ: Freeway Talks Reuniting With Jay Z & Beanie Sigel At Tidal “B-Sides” Concert + Meeting Freddie Gray’s Family In Baltimore]

Listen to Joe Budden’s podcast below.