His music initially gained popularity on New York City's famous mixtape circuit in 2002. Although his biggest mainstream hit to-date is 2003's up-tempo "Pump It Up," Budden is known for his reflective and often insecure lyrics. He is widely considered one of hip-hop's most gifted lyricists, thanks largely in part to his numerous works on mixtapes by such DJ's as DJ Clue, Clinton Sparks, DJ On Point, and DJ Envy.
On one particular mixtape song, called "Crosscountry Connection", Joe started a feud with the G-Unit camp. The Game took offense to a line where Joe claims that gangsta rappers should "be in a G-Unit video with all the gangsta actors", obviously claiming G-Unit are fake gangstas. Unbeknownst to Budden, The Game had just recently signed with the G-Unit camp. The Game and G-Unit fired a few diss songs Budden's way; he replied in kind. The feud was ended when The Game and Budden met in a club in New York City and put the past aside.
During winter and spring of 2005, through Joe Budden mixtapes and hip-hop rumor mills, it was said that he departed from Def Jam to Roc-A-Fella Records with CEO Damon Dash. In reality, Budden was legally obligated to stay with Def Jam. In the beginning of Budden's career, it took him a long time to get public exposure, working more than three years from the first time his demo tapes were heard to the first time he was on the radio. He has appeared on many tracks with other artists including 112, Amerie, Brandy, Cassidy, Fabolous, Fat Joe, Freeway, Janet Jackson, Jay-Z, Jennifer Lopez, Jin, Kelly Rowland, Lil' Kim, LL Cool J, Marques Houston, Usher, and more recently a remix to the hit song "Hollaback Girl" with Gwen Stefani. Some of these were not official remixes, simply mixtape tracks where a Joe Budden verse was added to an existing song.
Though he is thought of as one of rap's most skilled lyricists, Budden's success outside of the mixtape circuit has been marginal purposely. He is known to have invested in real estate in North Jersey and instead of blowing up into the rap scene he decided to make money from other methods instead of getting a record deal. His music is usually more sensitive and thought provoking than that of gangsta rappers, but subsequently, it is also more explicit and unrelenting than most "conscious" or "backpack" rappers.
In late December of 2005, Joe released a mixtape after almost 5 months of being absent from the game. Mood Muzik 2 is considered by most to be a lyrical masterpiece and with so deep tracks such as "Dumb Out" and the emotional "3 Sides to a Story" (in which Joe harrowingly describes a disturbing situation), many wondered had these songs originally been scheduled to appear on The Growth.
In 2007, he was released by Def Jam. In December 2007, he released Mood Muzik 3, which many are calling the best mixtape of the year, with some even saying it's the album of the year since it contains all original material. Some have questioned this since the beat for 'Ventilation' is an edit of 'It's A Shame (Da Butcher's Mix)' by Kool G Rap.
In October 2008, Joe Budden released another highly-rated mixtape, Halfway House; featuring album cuts such as 'Touch & Go' and a snippet of 'Blood On The Wall', a diss to Prodigy of Mobb Deep.
In his career up to his 2nd album, he has worked with artists such as Busta Rhymes and Christina Milian, and has been involved in feuds with rapper The Game and G-Unit. He has since reconciled with The Game.
Since this reconciliation, Joe Budden signed to Amalgam Digital records, and both artists finalized the beef and have collaborated on the single 'The Future' for Joe Budden's now-released 2nd album, Padded Room. The album released February 24th in the U.S. and March 3rd in Canada.
All In My Head
Joe Budden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴
Maybe it wouldn’t had started at all if I had your life
Maybe it was needed or was I thinking immorally
If I wasn’t myself could I say I gave the fans All of Me?
Can’t decide if I’m more ashamed of what they saw of me
Than I am of ignoring all the lessons that was taught to me
Headed up field but couldn’t dodge the last tackler
How could a forward thinker move so ass backwards?
Not realize that quicker demise, how could I neglect it all?
I’m so seasonal, some of y'all knew I'd spring back
With a heart this cold, how'd y'all think I’d be receptive to fall
I’m plenty comfortable when danger’s around
And even more so when strangers around
And the bigger picture is sicker, don't know my triggers or know the alarm it forces
Don't know a nigga, don't know my bouts with drugs and liquor or the harm it causes
Life or death? I tried to lynch myself
Thought I could keep it all a secret, I convinced myself
But really, the folk that loved me, they could tell I was locin'
I couldn’t see him, cry me a river cause it fell in the ocean
Numb to my words now, maybe felt I was open
I cut so many people loose, do I need help with devotion?
That’s just some of the things I ask my Lord and Savior
And when He calls for me, will He have done us all a favor?
How did I make it here?
Who are y'all?
I feel so lost
Now I’m not seeing it clear
Is it my fault?
It’s all in my head
I’m looking around like this can’t be happening
Round of applause for the angry rappers
Lord, my girl cried me a flood than me a river
That’s love, depending on me when I’m a dependent on liquor
I’m up in the shoe store, she got no love to show
You ever look at a bitch you was fucking behind your bitch back
Like fuck I was fucking you for?
I’m an artist so I’m intelligent
I would tell you to do some soul searching
But it’s hanging up in my closet with your skeleton
It’s gotta be a God's work, even a diamond gotta be polished first
A quarter's on the loose and I ain’t been out here getting my dollars’ worth
I had to remove the goggles first
To see through the sipping Patrón and fifty phoners for I need to go get me a kidney donor
Guru, Nate Dogg, go ahead blink a eye
The doctor told me you close, go 'head drink and die
Buried under the stone where the Patrón fifth sits by
That reads "Here lies somebody who never wanted to be this guy"
How did I make it here?
Who are y'all?
I feel so lost
Now I’m not seeing it clear
Is it my fault? (It go)
It’s all in my head (look)
They say knowledge is power, great 'cause every day I learn
As of late been having revelations bout this hate term
Hate the way they judged me, till I got the case adjourned
Hated the belly of the beast till I became its tapeworm
When I said I’d stop getting high, tried to say it stern
Though I’m the type to walk through the fire to check the way it burn
They say my brain is off, I say how can it be?
If I’m out my mind, how can I be in-sanity?
The people used to say that I was scared of progress
They don’t know how hard a nigga tried to advance
But I don’t know who’s more to blame, is it them for really not knowing me
Or is it me for never really giving them a chance?
Get too close, be too big of a threat
Now I spend little to no time, thinking why I ain’t get rid of you yet
Gotta recognize my maturity, gotta see I’m grown
Let all my skeletons out the closet, just so I'd never be alone
Since I got trust issues I won’t discuss with you
Besides God tell me who the fuck’s supposed to save you
Pop won't have a man to man, was gone half my life so
Somewhere in his head probably feel it ain't his place to
Plus more people will see me soon, I mean I’ll be on national TV soon
So when I ask if people I have around are a cancer for me
That’s four million more that might be able to answer for me, Joey
How did I make it here?
Who are y'all?
I feel so lost
Now I’m not seeing it clear
Is it my fault?
It’s all in my head
The lyrics of Joe Budden's "All In My Head" delve into the rapper's personal struggles with substance abuse, self-doubt, and self-sabotage. He reflects on his past mistakes, including neglecting the lessons he was taught and hurting those who loved him. He also touches on feeling lost and disconnected from reality, manifested by his not being able to see clearly.
The first verse seems to acknowledge the rapper's missteps in the past, questioning whether his decisions have made him into someone he may not like nor respect anymore. Joey reflects on whether his creative ambition has led him down a path he's ashamed of and the people he's hurt along the way. In the second verse, he delves into his relationships with women and his past drug use. He mourns the loss of loved ones and acknowledges that he's forced them to worry and cry repeatedly. The final pre-chorus and chorus shows Joe Budden grappling with the pain of addiction and its impact on his life. He's questioning his own actions and choices, taking responsibility for them.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, PFIVE Entertainment Mexico
Written by: BRIAN HONEYCUTT, CARL E. MCCORMICK, JOSEPH ANTHONY BUDDEN, RYAN D. MONTGOMERY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind