For fans of the [article id="1639013"]supergroup Slaughterhouse, Joe Budden[/article] has one thing he can confirm about the crew's buzzed-about deal with Eminem: It's too early to confirm anything.

Whispers that the hip-hop A-Team of Budden, Crooked I, Royce Da 5'9" and Joell Ortiz will ink a contract with the Shady Records boss have followed the foursome for a while, but while closing a deal with the Detroit hip-hop head looks promising, nothing has been nailed down just yet.

"The deal is not done. If everything goes according to plan, [then] hopefully. [It's] too premature for me to speak on," Budden said during his "RapFix Live" interview on Thursday (December 16). Even though Budden doesn't have any new answers for Slaughterhouse acolytes eager for an official stamp of approval from Em, the Mood Muzik MC noted that he's been fielding the same fan inquiries for a minute.

"I've been answering that same question for a ... year and change. Maybe ever since the [article id="1622131"]Drake "Forever" video ... when Slaughterhouse[/article] was standing with Eminem, I've been answering Eminem questions," he said. "Eminem is a whole 'nother entity, the [article id="1653389"]guy's nominated for 10 Grammys."[/article]

Em may be a chart-ruling trophy magnet but Budden said the first time he chopped it up with the Recovery lyricist, it was his wit that made an impression on the New Jersey-bred spitter.

"[He said] something real sarcastic. Something sarcastic as far as rapping goes. I think it was about a verse that I was doing. It's OK. But he's funny like that," Budden recalled, before explaining Shady's disarmingly down-to-earth charm. "It's almost like you're not even talking to him, like he's not who he is. I'm a huge fan, so I'll be sitting there like, 'Holy snap, it's Em,' then [you're] cracking jokes the next minute. [He's] just a real cool guy."

[article id="1652618"]Budden also told MTV News[/article] last month that despite his outsize fame, Em remains a dedicated guardian of hip-hop culture.

"Em, to be as successful as he is, and I'll just tell this to anybody with two ears, or one ear, for that matter, is just one of the most supportive hip-hop people that I've met," he said. "He's really, really just into hip-hop and rap and lyrics. He's just really into all of the things that group was built around."

What are you looking forward to from Slaughterhouse and Joe Budden? Let us know in the comments!