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.
Check Me Out
Joe Budden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Na'mean old school
Old school niggas used to be like..
What they used to be like? "Check me out now"
What other ad libs these old school niggas used to say?
I don't know but fuck it]
Look, now let me ask you a question
Is every bar about a burner or a weapon?
Now he all gassed up by his presence
Some tell me that my music is depressing, but
The best rapper in the world, I was destined
Jumpoff! Must be the exception
Am I the only one that's progressing in the recession?
They tell me tricking ain't tricking if you got it
I never heard more false words spoken
So, if I told you I'm a leave your wrist frozen
I was either lying to you or just joking
You could be in a wet T-shirt soaking,
You could, tell me how your shit get like the ocean
You could, jack me off with a bottle of lotion while ya legs open
And have trouble gettin a token
I grew up a lil, see I'm much more mature,
My repoire is one you can adore (ask around)
That wasn't always the case so that's for starter
I'm enjoying the hood, the one after father
I used to invest in heroin
With money in Maryland, not Merrill Lynch
Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs,
And now I'm holding stacks as I stroll in Saks
Sing it!
Uh, check me out now!
[Ya na'mean?
Nigga all grown up
It was this shit]
[Verse 2:]
Look, when I was younger I used to get ass for sport
Now I'm less about her sex, I'm more into her thoughts
Nah, I ain't mean to cross that yet, I regress
I'm more into her thoughts on sex
And the property, fuck what's across my neck
Be clear, I'm more into her career then her hair
Her mindstate; nothing is insurmountable
I'm worried about her account, is she accountable?
Real man shit, I'm no longer outlandish
The roof don't drop but it's panoramic
And I know haters can't stand it
So I do it on purpose, still on my Jerz shit
We don't fall flat, and we never cave in
I leave pressure right to my doormat
All that adversity never worried me
If anything it feeds me, it'll nourish me (motivate me)
I try to keep it a hundred, non fiction
Lane switching in my true religions with the double stitching
No fitted, T, Kid Robot
These rap niggas is ass and I don't dig botox
Into entering clubs, dodging photogs
So they can talk shit bout me for a whole blog
Go hard, no prob, that's the plan
(I might) laugh at jokes nigga, I'm a grown ass man! y
Ya heard
Check me out now!
[Yeah!
Joey!
I swear to god if this roof came down..
This shit be down right now, snowing
And I'd have my mo'fucking my shades on and shit, my hand out the window smoking...
A blunt!
Be next to the cops too
Fuck off coppers!
Sheah]
In the first verse of "Check Me Out," Joe Budden questions the authenticity of many modern rappers who rap exclusively about guns and violence. In the second verse, Budden shifts to discussing his own personal growth and maturity, highlighting that he now values a woman's intellect and career over just her appearance. Throughout the lyrics, Budden shows his confidence in his abilities and financial success, but he also acknowledges his past struggles with selling drugs.
The overall theme of the song is one of self-reflection and growth. Budden calls out other rappers for not being authentic and for glorifying violence, while also acknowledging his own past mistakes and growth. He shows that he has overcome struggles and has become a better person, both personally and financially.
Line by Line Meaning
Check me out right here
Listen to me, pay attention to what I'm about to say
Na'mean old school
You know what I'm talking about, back in the day
Old school niggas used to be like..
In the past, people used to say...
What they used to be like? "Check me out now"
They used to say "listen to what I can do now"
What other ad libs these old school niggas used to say?
What else did those people used to say?
I don't know but fuck it
I don't know, let's forget about it and move on
Look, now let me ask you a question
Listen closely, I have something to ask you
Who are you? Where you from? What you reppin?
Tell me about yourself, where you come from, and what you represent
Is every bar about a burner or a weapon?
Does everything you rap about involve violence?
Now he all gassed up by his presence
This person is now arrogant and full of himself
Some tell me that my music is depressing, but
Some people think my music is sad, however...
The best rapper in the world, I was destined
It was my destiny to become the best rapper in the world
Jumpoff! Must be the exception
I'm the exception, the unique one
Am I the only one that's progressing in the recession?
Is it just me who is growing and improving during the difficult times?
They tell me tricking ain't tricking if you got it
Some people say that spending money is not really spending if you have a lot of it
I never heard more false words spoken
That's the biggest lie I've ever heard
So, if I told you I'm a leave your wrist frozen
If I told you I'll make you a luxurious gift,
I was either lying to you or just joking
Either I lied or I made a joke, it was not true
You could be in a wet T-shirt soaking,
You could be soaking wet, wearing a T-shirt
You could, tell me how your shit get like the ocean
You could explain to me how your things become as abundant as the ocean
You could, jack me off with a bottle of lotion while ya legs open
You could pleasure me while opening your legs and using lotion
And have trouble gettin a token
Even then, you might still have trouble getting attention
I grew up a lil, see I'm much more mature,
I've grown up a bit and become more mature
My repoire is one you can adore (ask around)
People think highly of me and my reputation
That wasn't always the case so that's for starter
It wasn't always like this, but this is just the beginning
I'm enjoying the hood, the one after father
I find pleasure in my community, the one after my father's generation
I used to invest in heroin
I used to sell drugs
With money in Maryland, not Merrill Lynch
I had money invested in drugs, not stocks
Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs,
Famous banks that people invest in
And now I'm holding stacks as I stroll in Saks
Now I have a lot of money as I walk in the store Saks Fifth Avenue
Sing it!
Come on, sing with me!
Look, when I was younger I used to get ass for sport
When I was young, I used to hook up with women in a casual manner
Now I'm less about her sex, I'm more into her thoughts
Now I prioritize a woman's intelligence over her physical features
Nah, I ain't mean to cross that yet, I regress
I didn't mean to digress earlier, let me go back to my point
I'm more into her thoughts on sex
I'm interested in what she thinks about sex
And the property, fuck what's across my neck
I care more about owning property than wearing flashy jewelry
Be clear, I'm more into her career then her hair
To be clear, I value a woman's career more than her appearance
Her mindstate; nothing is insurmountable
I admire when a woman has a strong mindset, believing she can overcome any obstacle
I'm worried about her account, is she accountable?
I'm concerned if she's responsible with her money and her life in general
Real man shit, I'm no longer outlandish
I'm becoming a mature man, no longer wild and outrageous
The roof don't drop but it's panoramic
My car doesn't have a drop-top, but the sunroof is large and expansive
And I know haters can't stand it
I know there are people who dislike me and my success
So I do it on purpose, still on my Jerz shit
I purposely show off my success, I'm still representing my hometown
We don't fall flat, and we never cave in
We never give up and we always push through difficult times
I leave pressure right to my doormat
Stress doesn't affect me, I leave it at the door of my home
All that adversity never worried me
I'm not afraid of challenges, I never let them worry me
If anything it feeds me, it'll nourish me (motivate me)
If anything, challenges motivate and inspire me
I try to keep it a hundred, non fiction
I try to be honest and truthful in everything I do
Lane switching in my true religions with the double stitching
I'm driving my car, wearing my True Religion jeans with a distinctive double stitch
No fitted, T, Kid Robot
I'm wearing a t-shirt without a snapback hat, but with Kid Robot accessories
These rap niggas is ass and I don't dig botox
These rappers aren't good, and I don't like fake cosmetic surgeries
Into entering clubs, dodging photogs
I don't like to go to clubs where paparazzi are waiting to take my picture
So they can talk shit bout me for a whole blog
So they can write negative posts about me on their blog all day long
Go hard, no prob, that's the plan
I don't mind facing challenges, that's my plan
(I might) laugh at jokes nigga, I'm a grown ass man!
It's okay to joke around, I'm a mature adult
Joey!
My nickname
I swear to god if this roof came down..
I'm so confident, I swear the roof won't collapse
This shit be down right now, snowing
It would already have fallen and it would be snowing
And I'd have my mo'fucking my shades on and shit, my hand out the window smoking...
And I'd be wearing my sunglasses and smoking, with my hand out the window
Be next to the cops too
I wouldn't be afraid of the police either
Fuck off coppers!
A disrespectful statement to police officers
Sheah
An exclamation of approval or agreement
Contributed by Elliot H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.