Even though Budden says he has respect for the pioneers in hip hop, Joe continued on about the difference in paying tribute and challenging someone,  after he once challenged Method Man and Vibe's "Best Rapper Alive" list.   No in a new interview, Budden explains, "Method Man, Redman, Wu-Tang, they happened to be some of the people who paved the way for Joe Budden to get here,"
     Joe goes on, "Which is why I get it, I understand what the uproar is about. I still didn't think me saying it would cause such an uproar...My statement still stands, I still out-rap 90 percent of the n*ggas that rap and I'm mad it turned into a Joe Budden versus Method Man thing because like I said, it was not directed towards Method Man. It was a comment but I said his name and I shouldn't have because I was talking to a large amount of people that were on that list...And furthermore, I wasn't just talking, I said I could prove it and nobody has sent a bar my way yet...Anybody can say what they want in an interview, I don't pay interviews no mind. And again, I have the utmost respect for Method Man, Redman, Wu-Tang, Raekwon, Busta Rhymes, everybody involved that felt they had to chime in on my opinion...But today, in 2009, you send a bar my way...kiss the baby."