Joe Budden criticized Cardi B for taking samples of Jay-Z’s “fictional player” in her new name “Imaginaly Players.”
In his podcast of the same name, Buden explains why he is unhappy that she chose the song.
He said: “She shouldn’t do it again. Don’t slap the top three on the East Coast, four rappers, classic songs and rework. We’re going to yell at the writers. The writers are killed. It’s not about the writers. The bars are there. That’s not enough.”
The former slaughterhouse rapper added: “That delivery, those punches, that was really shaky… “Fictional Players” because you all were there, and when it fell down, Hov was a better rapper than that.
“It’s just because of the rhythm and flow and what he’s talking about, his aura and voice control. Cardi is in the same tone, the same tone, and it sounds uneven, not smooth. The bar is there, but it’s not that beat.”
Joe Budden returned from vacation and shared his thoughts on Cardi B’s “fictional player” record and whether she could reach the first week of 200k in today’s climate, while Gunna sold 80k, Clipse sold 118k and Nicki Minaj sold $228,000. pic.twitter.com/4p0yhf2rwl
– joebuddenclips/fanpage (@chatnigga101) August 20, 2025
Cardi B recently defended her choice by including several classic songs on her upcoming album Am I a drama?
The project will include “WAP” and “UP” released in 2020 and 2021, respectively.
On X, Cardi explains why she puts the old song on the album: “This is my last and only time.
“I let the haters tell me not to submit ‘wap’ for the Grammys, and at this point, I give fans what they want! These two songs aren’t even counting on the first week of sales, so what are you even crying?
Am I a drama? This is the long-awaited follow-up to her debut album, Invasion of Privacy, which was released in 2018.
Am I a drama? It is scheduled to be released on September 19.
