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.
Angel In My Life
Joe Budden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let's look behind the Swarovski crystals
Behind the .50 calibers and the pistols
Misused, pardoned self got to excuse, my issues
For me to have you a ritual
But, I ain't as crazy as I seem to be
It's just that nothin' is the way that is seem's to me
I'm feelin' less then, druggin' him up with anti-depressents
Truth told, I figure a few hoe's
Mixed with some new clothes should cover my loop holes
If I'm misundersttod or mis-guided
Started when they passed the L' said 'just try it'
When I don't wanna get out of bed I just fight it
Sometimes I don't eat for days I just diet
Only live once so if I just like it
I ain't even checkin' the price, I just buy shit
I'm thinkin that will just hide it
But all it takes is life to ignite shit
I'm thinkin' bout death wonderin' how I'm gonna go
I can't be insane for just wantin' to know
In my head I die often, I used to think of suicide often
Good suit on and a nice coffin
But, that ain't somethin' I would try myself
Still they lock me in this room all by myself
I need a... think I need a.....
[Hook]
[Verse 2]
They say my symptoms are aggressive
They titled me a compulsive obsessive slash manic depressive
They trying to tell I'm a con and I game niggas
That's one reason I don't even entertain niggas
Not important who they are I won't name niggas
They like to say I got a tendency to blame niggas
I keep fuckin' shit up but keep tryin'
If ya'll would just trust me I wouldn't just keep lyin'
If I had bread I wouldn't be in debt
Let me clarify get in Def
I feel like every time I been less
When ever I invest whenever I inset I feel I'm innept
I try to make them understand but they just won't incept
I tell them four million others I am the templed
There ain't no book that tells a story there ain't no index
We got some different type of cuts and no they ain't princess
All this indigest seemingly in less
How I take in stress when I always went best
Aching in my chest and yet it still won't break me
They say the room is padded for my own safety
But the cushion don't soften shit
They locked the door but still they let my thoughts in it
And no one can tell me why I'm here
I can't even see the sky from here
I guess my time is near
In "Angel In My Life," Joe Budden takes listeners on a journey through his psyche. Behind the facade of high-end material possessions and guns, he reveals his inner struggles with mental health issues, depression, and suicidal ideation. He recognizes that his behavior is not always rational, and he uses drugs and other crutches to cope with his emotional pain. He admits to feeling inadequate and misunderstood, feeling the need to cover up his weaknesses with new clothes and expensive purchases. Throughout the song, Budden struggles with his identity and purpose, wondering if he is insane and contemplating his own mortality. He feels trapped, confined to a padded room for his own safety, but even this cushioned environment cannot silence the thoughts in his head.
All in all, "Angel In My Life" is a raw and emotional outpouring, providing listeners with a glimpse into Joe Budden's psyche. It acknowledges the pain and struggle of living with mental illness and how it can impact one's sense of self and purpose.
Line by Line Meaning
Let's look behind the Swarovski crystals
Let's look beyond the luxury goods
Misused, pardoned self got to excuse, my issues
My past mistakes and my tendency to make excuses affects my current problems
But, I ain't as crazy as I seem to be
I might seem crazy, but I'm not as crazy as I appear
'just try it'
Someone encouraged me to try drugs
Only live once so if I just like it
I only live once, so I buy things that I like without worrying about the cost
But, that ain't somethin' I would try myself
Even though I think about death a lot, I wouldn't try to end my own life
They trying to tell I'm a con and I game niggas
People think I'm a fraud and that I manipulate others
I keep fuckin' shit up but keep tryin'
I keep making mistakes, but I keep trying to do better
If ya'll would just trust me I wouldn't just keep lyin'
If people trusted me, I wouldn't feel the need to lie to them
They say the room is padded for my own safety
I'm in a padded room for my own safety because of my mental health issues
And no one can tell me why I'm here
I don't know why I'm in this situation
I guess my time is near
I feel like death is near
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kieranpugh7416
[Verse 1]
Let's look behind the Swarovski crystals
Behind the .50 calibers and the pistols
Misused, pardoned self got to excuse, my issues
For me to have you a ritual
But, I ain't as crazy as I seem to be
It's just that nothin' is the way that is seem's to me
Im feelin' less then, druggin' him up with anti-depressents
In essence im threatenin my character asessment
Truth told, I figure a few hoe's
Mixed with some new clothes should cover my loop holes
If I'm misundersttod or mis-guided
Started when they passed the L' said 'just try it'
When I don't wanna get out of bed I just fight it
Sometimes I don't eat for days I just diet
Only live once so if I just like it
I aint even checkin' the price, I just buy shit
I'm thinkin that will just hide it
But all it takes is life to ignite shit
I'm thinkin' bout death wonderin' how I'm gonna go
I can't be insane for just wantin' to know
In my head I die often, I used to think of suicide often
Good suit on and a nice coffin
But, that ain't somethin' I would try myself
Still they lock me in this room all by myself
I need a... think I need a.....
[Hook]
[Verse 2]
They say my symptoms are aggressive
They titled me a compulsive obsessive slash manic depressive
They trying to tell I'm a con and I game niggas
That's one reason I dont even entertain niggas
Not important who they are I won't name niggas
They like to say I got a tendency to blame niggas
I keep fuckin' shit up but keep tryin'
If ya'll would just trust me I wouldn't just keep lyin'
If I had bread I wouldn't be in debt
Let me clarify get in Def
I feel like every time I been less
When ever I invest whenever I inset I feel I'm innept
I try to make them understand but they just won't incept
I tell them four million others I am the templed
There ain't no book that tells a story there ain't no index
We got some different type of cuts and no they ain't princess
All this indigest seemingly in less
How I take in stress when I always went best
Aching in my chest and yet it still won't break me
They say the room is padded for my own safety
But the cushion don't soften shit
They locked the door but still they let my thoughts in it
And no one can tell me why I'm here
I can't even see the sky from here
I guess my time is near
@virgilG711
Seven years later still goes hard.
@acj8468
Underrated is not the world, damn.
@bmeyer1193
Realest rapper in the world.
@pciampi7
unbelievable song i feel u joey i know how the masses cant relate i feel every damn word you spittin here my dude signing off 973
@Sreed8392
Joe never disappoints! 👌🏾
@historiasuperrandom9646
Classic
@kieranpugh7416
[Verse 1]
Let's look behind the Swarovski crystals
Behind the .50 calibers and the pistols
Misused, pardoned self got to excuse, my issues
For me to have you a ritual
But, I ain't as crazy as I seem to be
It's just that nothin' is the way that is seem's to me
Im feelin' less then, druggin' him up with anti-depressents
In essence im threatenin my character asessment
Truth told, I figure a few hoe's
Mixed with some new clothes should cover my loop holes
If I'm misundersttod or mis-guided
Started when they passed the L' said 'just try it'
When I don't wanna get out of bed I just fight it
Sometimes I don't eat for days I just diet
Only live once so if I just like it
I aint even checkin' the price, I just buy shit
I'm thinkin that will just hide it
But all it takes is life to ignite shit
I'm thinkin' bout death wonderin' how I'm gonna go
I can't be insane for just wantin' to know
In my head I die often, I used to think of suicide often
Good suit on and a nice coffin
But, that ain't somethin' I would try myself
Still they lock me in this room all by myself
I need a... think I need a.....
[Hook]
[Verse 2]
They say my symptoms are aggressive
They titled me a compulsive obsessive slash manic depressive
They trying to tell I'm a con and I game niggas
That's one reason I dont even entertain niggas
Not important who they are I won't name niggas
They like to say I got a tendency to blame niggas
I keep fuckin' shit up but keep tryin'
If ya'll would just trust me I wouldn't just keep lyin'
If I had bread I wouldn't be in debt
Let me clarify get in Def
I feel like every time I been less
When ever I invest whenever I inset I feel I'm innept
I try to make them understand but they just won't incept
I tell them four million others I am the templed
There ain't no book that tells a story there ain't no index
We got some different type of cuts and no they ain't princess
All this indigest seemingly in less
How I take in stress when I always went best
Aching in my chest and yet it still won't break me
They say the room is padded for my own safety
But the cushion don't soften shit
They locked the door but still they let my thoughts in it
And no one can tell me why I'm here
I can't even see the sky from here
I guess my time is near
@sotathug941
this dude is sick...
@AD3Basketball
Such a real song, one of the many from Jumpoff Joe. "Truth told, I figure a few hoe's
Mixed with some new clothes should cover my loop holes" hot line that stood out to me
@raindropsonrosesxxo
❤️ this song goes hard