The Game har aldrig været bange for at udveksle et diss track eller to i sin karriere, fælles for de fleste af hans bøffer, så er det som regel bare aldrig rigtig ham som det oprindelig drejer sig om, men det afholder ham dog sjældent fra at indgå i nogle til tider ret langvarige tirader, hvor han angriber alt og alle. Joe Budden er derimod heller ikke en rapper som er kendt for at holde sin kæft, hvilket da også har resulteret i nogle rimelig uheldige udtalelser, eksempelvis som det var tilfældet omkring Method Man.


Med Joe Buddens begyndende konflikt med G-Unit og i særdeleshed 50 Cent (som sædvanlig), er det derfor nærmest oplagt at The Game også blander sig, denne gang ligger der dog lidt mere til grund for The Game's indledende angreb, mere om det om lidt.

Budden og 50 har som sagt en begyndende bøf, som i grove træk handler om at 50 Cent beder Joe Budden om at "steppe sit rap game up" i et XXL interview, hvorefter Joe Budden kommer med et lettere jab i et track

Joe Budden (Bang Out - Unreleased)
"See you rap dudes wanna hassle me? well
Might have to treat this barrel like a Sprewell
You jump, I box out
What good is your bulletproof truck when you gotta hop out? (nigga)"

Og bare lige for at gøre det helt klart at hans blik er rettet mod G-Unit frontmanden

Joe Budden (Pump It Up Remix - State Of Emergency)
"Seen many men with the jade
Next time you listen to many men, I'll make sure you relate"

Som medlem af G-Unit lejren, er The Game udmærket godt klar over relationen mellem 50 Cent og joe Budden. Han bliver derfor særligt overrasket, når et vers han exklusivt har lavet til et DJ Clue mixtape, pludselig bliver kædet sammen med vers fra Joe Budden, som tydeligvis benytter muligheden for at miskreditere The Game og hans affilering med G-Unit

Joe Budden (Cross Country Connection - American Idol)
"Gangstas do real things because gangstas have to
I should have a real gangsta wack ya, bang and clap ya punk, aim it at ya
You should be in a G-Unit vid, with all the gangsta actors
I meant to slap ya, I hate gangsta rappers
I'll flame you faster, and I'm on top Game you bastards"

The Game er på nuværende tidspunkt ikke klar over dette klar angreb fra Budden, som Budden sjovt nok, selv benægter overhovedet er et angreb. Men jeg har skrevet nok om rap bøffer, til at kende et angreb når jeg hører det, 50 Cent er heller ikke i tvivl og kontakter The Game med spørgsmål om hvorfor han optræder på et nummer der sviner hans eget crew, hvilket selvfølgelig får The Game op i det røde felt (pun)

The Game (Buddens - Addicted to beef pt. 2)
"Bitch niggas get put in the coffin with all that psychopath talking,
You listening to the source and I ain’t from boston
I’m gang banging, red G-6’s call em’ how I see em’, these niggas is bitches
And clue put this nigga on a song and now its g-unit, and I came to get it on
You ain’t hot, nigga you luke warm, ill hog tie your ass with g-unit shoes on
You had pump it up that was a cool song, you only sold 10 records nigga now move on
Talking 'bout you got ratchets and tools on when you was at the all-star game with no jewels on
I cant believe I gave you dap, with the 45 on me I should of gave you that
Pistol whipped you laid you flat, jump off buddens nah, disgrace to a yankee hat
And its time to state my biz, only nigga pushing rock in jersey is jason kidd
You a phony nigga I’ll erase your wig, have you running to the church like Masen did
...
You don’t know me... fool, to diss me on dj... clue
I don’t need no assistance to dig you a ditch, and any problem I got I just put my clip in
You fake like janet’s titty, one call 300 bloods in atlantic city
You bad boy then dance like diddy, I give celebrity beat downs, I bring the camera with me
On that mixtape shit you knew my man was 50, and I keep something chrome in the tanish dickeys
Smoke niggas like a gram of sticky, and I know my way to harlem ill take you to bransons with me
Come to Compton you’ll vanish quickly, I got niggas in the hood that’ll kill you for a can of mickey’s
Gangs in L.A. we never die, and we’ll let hollow tips fly at Joe
...
I drive through the desert storm kick up dust, red and blue rags hanging out of pick up trucks
Get banks on the phone, nigga hit young buck, tell em’ we got a problem with this dumb fuck
You was just in the city of angels in the W lobby in the presence of gangsters
I’m the nigga that’ll beat you with the stainless and leave you alive so you can run and tell stain bitch
I got niggas in jersey that’ll hang you, im a los angeles king with new york rangers
And you lucky yayo got that beeper on his ankle, joe buddens the true definition of a wankster"

Iføle Joe Buddens eget udsagn, havde han oprindeligt ikke tænkt sig at svare tilbage, da han reelt finder konflikten ubegrundet. Han synes dog at The Games diss er så underholdende, at han bliver nød til at svare tilbage, i rap battlens ånd

Joe Budden (Game Over - Unreleased)
"Dude wanna be Dre, Ren Ice Cube or Eazy
But, you ain't them aight dude? Believe me
Say I'm tight trash all thanks to ghostwrite
But then you sound like Fab, get a sound like BLAT!
Not real, never heard a sound like that
He's a bitch, probly sleep in a gown and nightcap
Got a big chrome friend that I tuck along with me
And a grown gat since you like +suckin on 50's+
You's not Big and Pac, not East vs. West Nigga, this is least vs. best
Wack west nigga from a sideblock, meanwhile
Get dude to fill an iPod with just freestyles
Let's do the math
You ain't sold shit, and I sold 500K more than that
Heard your diss track, but I ain't even play on that
Because I just seen dude, and he ain't say all that
In the same hotel, if dude wanted to do me
I'd have been Cassidy, gave him the room key
Got the guns and the vest out that I planted
And Game woulda had his chest out like Janet!
That's what I mean, dude's on that tough shit
Image for the public, believe none of it
Scared to speak street cuz he scared so he dap on some love shit
Then get in the booth on some thug shit (naw)
Go and put you in a verse
Nigga, this 4 will put you in a hearse
Now the ganj will put you in the dirt
Cuz guns is like soap on a rope, it took a fag to start usin' 'em first
A to the K, Jim to the starr
Wanna play God (?) say BLAM! nigga, limp to your car
This fag can't be for real, he gettin' at me?
He 'gone need more than a shield and big Macky (So)
Next time don't be a coward about it
Just get loud with this crowd to show everybody you bout it
Mr G-G-G-G-G, stop that Homes, you only known for 5
Heartbeat hooks and gettin' popped at (c'mon")
See no evil, I hear the people
They ask and I tell 'em I got your career on TiVo
And if the song sells, and you gone be poppin' them thangs
Maybe you could tell Jimmy he can stop callin scame
I'm just tryin to save your rep
Your not a rapper, you asked, they gat like you gone save the West I doubt that, not him
You need help, is Dre gone put him on the shelf?
Better learn from Rakim
So when I see you also, we can let the glocks blow
Come through Jersey, or I'll meet you at Roscoes
Another fake thug gets killed, 100 red dots on you if you wanna be a blood for real, mu' fucka"

Konflikten er ved sit højeste blus og The Game, som har et væld af bøffer at holde styr på, begynder at blive kendt for sine flere minutters lange tirader på diverse mixtape freestyles, hvor han prøver at få renset luften for alle sine frustrationer. En af disse freestyles, skal derfor selvfølgelig også lige tage sig af Joe Budden - og Memphis Bleek og Bang 'Em Smurf og Domination og...

The Game (200 Bars & Running - Unreleased)*
*lille uddrag
"Tell 'em to roll red carpet when he come in New York
Hip-hop police on me think they runnin New York
Till I lace my and1 show 'em how to run in New York
They tryin to take me downtown put me under the court
Cuz Joe Buddens told 'em I carry a gun in New York
And homey that's strictly fact he got ripped on wax
So he snitched just to get me back
No matter what you say dog your shit be whack
You better watch what you say it might get you clapped
Here's a little advice homey switch your raps
Cuz that shit on your last album ain't get you plat's
Industry niggaz I'll admit to that
But I don't even want your chain I'll let the Crips do that
12 bars for that bitch he won't live through that
Even a nigga with a ten-year bid knew that
Put a gun in his mouth yeah, yeah do that
He a pussy (sniff, sniff) his own kid knew that
I'm Ready To Die B.I.G knew that
He ain't eatin look at his white tee you could see his ribs through that
You cocksucker let your ears do that
Or ride later do me ooh wee now back to rap
2 Lincoln continentals sittin back to back
Leavin Jersey City naw nigga Hackensack
Where's that somewhere where the crackers at
Real far from where the roaches and rats is at
Come to Compton I'll show you where the racquet's at
Down the street from the staples centers where they hack-a-shack
Give the advance money back I am not have to rap
Break Harry-O out tell him crack is back
That's nine five a bird take half of that
Import it, export it in cracker jacks
When you get to the projects ask for Black
You know what you started with give him half of that
He gon give you 50 g's in a plastic sack
And I'mma gives you 3500 cash for that
Gotta keep your mouth closed or I'mma blast the Mack
They won't believe you the whole world know that bastard rap
Once you outta the throne you can't have it back
Retirement home and ain't nothing after that
Except you layin in a casket black"

Hvad der efterfølgende følger, er et væld af mixtape tracks/freestyles fra Buddens side, hvor han desuden benytter muligheden for at disse resten af G-Unit

Joe Budden (Big Shot - Not Your Average Joe)
"Far as the kid game, he lame to say the least
Mad he from the west, so he diverted to the East
All he talk about, Him and his Man that'll blast pounds
But when you see him, He just dancing in the Background
I tore Game apart
Thought by now the asswhole would have a change a heart
Especially since I got the tape of this GANGSTA on change of Heart
Teary eyed cause his shorty had a change of Heart
But I smell something fishy, there's a con in the Air
Slacks, His tongue pierced, Streaks Blonde in his Hair
Who's he Playing With? Keep saying shit
And ya' body will take the same tour Reagan's did
Still trying to get a buzz, Embarassed, The Kid's Hurtin'
Reachin', He's losin' his head, He's Nick Birkman"

og

Joe Budden (Heartbeatology - The Mixtape After Tomorrow)
"Tell Game I Triple His Whole Budget On The Mornin' Show..
You Got Tv Bread..
Give It Time Wait..
Next We'll Prolly See This Clown On Blind Date WAIT!"

The Game foretager sig dog i mellemtiden ikke rigtig noget, sandsynligvis på grund af travlhed med at få sin debut stablet på benene - eller måske bare manglende interesse. Budden fortsætter dog ufortrødent, med det ene diss efter det andet rettet mod hele G-Unit lejren - og ikke mindst The Game, på blandt andre "Breathe Freestyle", "Blood Pressure Freestyle" og "Art Of War Freestyle".

Langt hen ad vejen rapper Joe Budden dog for døve øre, da det er minimal respons han får fra de mange freestyles han får affyret. Efterhånden som tiden går, dør konflikten ud og The Game begynder så småt at forsvinde fra Buddens læber.

Som med alle konflikter i hop hop land, er der altid debat om hvem der reelt set kan kalde sig vinder af battlen. Joe Budden har på den ene side et ry som über lyrikker med mainstream appel, men samtidig har han aldrig haft det store gennembrud og hans konflikt med 50 cent/G-Unit/The Game virker for nogen, som et desperat forsøg på opmærksomhed. Det bliver yderligere forværret, af hans vedholdende påstand om uskyldighed omkring konfliktens udspring, som bliver opfattet af mange, som værende en slesk måde at påtage sig offerrollen, samtidig med at hele situationen med at ligge et vers efter The Game (for at disse ham), generelt bare er ilde set, oven på hele LL Cool J/Canibus bøffen - den tager vi en anden dag.

På den anden side, er holdningen dog at The Game er en opmærksomheds luder, som aldrig er bleg for at påtage sig andre folks konflikter i et påskud for at slippe et nyt 10+ minutters freestyle. Derudover blev det af mange opfattet, som om han agerede 50 Cent's lakaj, hvilket aldrig er godt i hip hop land. Der er dog megen enighed om - på begge sider af spektret, at Budden har svært ved at komme tilbage oven på Game's "Buddens" track. Hvor mange af Buddens fans mener, at han simpelthen bruger for meget tid/energi på det ene disstrack efter det andet, i stedet for at fokusere på sit eget shit.

Debat om The Games og Joe Buddens forhold har længe været til diskussion, specielt efter The Games brud med G-Unit, det også selv om begge parter erklærede fred i 2004. Både The Game og Joe Budden er kendte luske-bukse, når det kommer til kommentarer om andre rappere og såkaldte "fredserklæringer". Mange har håbet/frygtet at konflikten ville bluse op, men i 2009, godt og vel 5 år efter den første fredserklæring fra de to, ser det endelig ud til at begge parter er parate til at lægge konflikten bag sig én gang for alle. Da de for første gang - sådan officielt, mødes på et track sammen

The Game (The Future - Padded Room)
"Once Enemies
My nemesis & I
Was stuck in a genesis
Free world of side reply
Let bygones be bygones
I'm gone..."