Here’s How Joe Budden, Elliott Wilson Responded to Punch’s Opinion on Hip-Hop Journalism
Major figureheads in hip-hop media are having difficulty ignoring Terrence “Punch” Henderson’s recent comments about rap journalism.
On Oct. 22, the TDE president took to X to air his opinion on the state of hip-hop journalism.
“I respect Hip Hop Journalism and feel it’s needed in its truest form. It help keep the culture alive. But it’s only a few real ones left. Most of you guys are trash. Just my opinion. That’s why artist don’t want to talk to you,” he wrote.
Of course, that led to a flurry of critique from followers, fans, journalists, and media figures, including Elliott Wilson and Joe Budden.
Wilson addressed Punch’s take in a new episode of HipHopDX’s show, The Bigger Picture, with Jeremy Hecht and DJ Hed, in which he explained that he believes Punch’s remarks were triggered by fans saying Kendrick Lamar’s Harper’s Bazaar cover story with SZA was a “softball interview.” Earlier this week, the magazine published a conversation between the two artists, and the pair didn’t discuss Drake, except when SZA asked what “Not Like Us” meant to Lamar.
Wilson appeared to take Punch’s comments personally. “Why when people say hip-hop journalism I think of myself and I get offended,” he said, laughing at around the 1:32:00 hour mark. “I am hip-hop journalism.” He then questioned if Punch was “dissing” him.
“It’s a puzzle, it’s ridiculous. It doesn’t make any sense,” Wilson added.
He went on to outline the difference between journalists, media personalities, radio hosts, bloggers, and streamers. He explained that he began as a journalist but has become more of a media personality. Based on that, he guesses Punch is “attacking” traditional journalists.
“All of that represents hip-hop journalism, whether you like it or not. That’s why when you say who’s the GOAT, they compare me against Sway, Angie Martinez, Big Boy, which are all radio people. I’m a journalist. What I do is dead,” Wilson continued.
“The lines are so blurry that once you make statements like that it’s like what are you really saying? … It’s all bullshit. It’s all self-serving and it doesn’t really make any sense and if being a real one was rewarded, I would get the Kendrick interview. The real ones left aren’t being rewarded with anything. So what’s the point of saying that? It’s just a bunch of nonsense.”
He added, “My whole thing now is I’m past it. You don’t want to sit with me, you don’t want to sit with me. … The people that wanna do the interviews, I’ll do it. … By nature, the media-artist relationship is contentious. They only want praise, they don’t want any critical analysis. So that can’t be solved. So when Punch did that thing, I said it’s unfixable and I’m fine with it.”
Over the weekend, Budden added his two cents on The Joe Budden Podcast.
“I could give two fucks if Kendrick don’t sit with me, and that’s why I have a problem with what Punch is saying,” Budden said at around the 1:59:45 hour mark. “When you say hip-hop media, there are way too many options to choose from for you to lump all of those people under one umbrella of ‘Hey, y’all talk bad about the artist and the artist feel a way, so they don’t wanna talk to you.’”
“That is a crock of shit. You can’t tell me that. Now, many of us in hip-hop media choose to speak about you rather than to you because the gig is the gig. But where I come from, the hip hop that I know, even those things led to more anticipation for an amazing interview.”
Budden then discussed how he “kicked” Chance the Rapper and Big Sean’s “back in” for months before they came in for an interview. “I’ve had a lot of interviews where I was kicking somebody’s back in and they came right to the smoke. Rather than say, ‘Hey, this person’s been talking about me, and my feelings are hurt so I don’t want to go.’”
“There are too many people in hip-hop media. Find the person that is true and aligns with whatever you trying to do and talk to that person then. I just think it gets real murky when artists today won’t sit with anybody,” Budden said. “I think if Kendrick never sits with anybody, we’re well within our right to kick his fucking back in.”
Budden’s comments come after Punch has continued to share different opinions on artists and the idea of artists expanding their platforms elsewhere, responding to others like Van Lathan.
