LL COOL J Backs Joe Budden After Yung Miami Mocked “Pump It Up” Gold Plaque 

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LL COOL J shared his reaction to Yung Miami and others ridiculing Joe Budden for recently receiving a gold plaque for his 2003 single “Pump It Up.” 


The legendary rapper and actor presented the plaque during an episode of The Joe Budden podcast. However, many on social media mocked Budden for taking over two decades to go gold. 

However, LL COOL J fired back at the critics during a brief interview with TMX earlier this week.  

“I mean, what can you say?” he replied when asked his thoughts on Yung Miami’s remarks. “Some people never go gold!”  

LL Cool J agreed when the interview noted it was “still an achievement” despite the criticism. He also pointed out that many artists don’t receive their flowers during their lifetime. 

“Of course it is,” he added. “It doesn’t matter, you have artists that don’t go diamond ’til posthumously. I mean, it’s life. But it’s beautiful for him, [I’m] happy for Joe.” 

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Yung Miami roasted Joe Budden over the gold plaque and implied it was payback for his remarks about her Caresha Please podcast. However, Budden replied on his podcast, explaining he expects to be criticized, especially as a vocal culture critic.  

“There’s absolutely nothing you can say to make me think that LL COOL J bringing me my ‘Pump It Up’ gold plaque to my quadruple platinum podcast is an ‘L,’” Joe Budden insisted before addressing the former City Girls rapper.  

“Now we all can laugh,” he added. “And if there’s anybody that I hope would be laughing it would be Yung Miami with all she’s had to endure in the past year or so. I wanna be clear. I like Yung Miami. I do. I think she’s a pretty good content creator.”