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.
Do Tell
Joe Budden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
& Even when I did I never meant to take it further
Tell my father I love him, dot dot excetera
He used to give me advice like a plethora
I tried to find myself but I was your replica
I mean I only tried to be what you never was
Tell my older brother I'm bad at being a brother
I know I never told you just how highly I think of ya
I would have visited more if I wasn't into me
Tell Trey I think his mother is an asshole
When you get older you might understand how that go's
Tell the hood I left, not for greed or wealth
I did it for my own sanity & keep my health
I tried to bring a few with me, hoping we could cash in
But all they said is that I ain't do it in a timely fashion
Tell... music she saved me when shit was adverse
My first love I give my life so she can have hers
Tell my friends, each one, they taught me how to be one
I owe them part of everything I've become
Tell fame I ain't want it, nah I'll keep it a hunnid
I try my best to go and get it but the nigga fronted
SO! I lie dormant, living through torment
Tell cops I've got warrents I don't warrant
Tell the therapist "look I never thought I'd get here"
Somebody ask love why she ain't wanna live here
So in it's place is a lot of pride
Anybody thinking they know me, I apologize
Grandpa is eighty plus still being strong
Tell the fake niggas "keep on keeping on"
Faithfully tell anybody who hated me
Hastily, all it ever did was motivated me
They say I'm difficult, so to put it simply
Tell the world I never cared it was against me
Tell god to be there in case I fall
Tell fans I never gyped em I always gave them my all
Tell my girl she put me through it
But if I had to go through it with anybody I'm thankful it's her
Tell every member of my family
For too long I hid behind my own insanity & got me caught up
& then Somebody tell currency I chased him to the death
I thought I'd catch the nigga until I ran out of breath
Tell my bruises "I'm fine, I'm good, I normally heal quick"
Tell the rain come down, I need to feeeeel it
I told a nigga give me a hand but he wouldn't
I kept telling myself I can't until I couldn't
If niggas wanna kill me tell em I already died
Tell anybody that will listen I tried
Til the water ran dry
Tell the water to get the fuck out my eyes
Tell the crust it tastes great but I much rather the pie
Ask success what I got to do to succeed
Then tell my twin brothers I look at em like my seeds
Ya'll will be the mouths I feed
If a nigga ever tell me how to rid myself of some of this greed
I tell them that I'm grown, really I ain't finish growing
Look, tell failure I ain't wanna get to know him
Tell the stick up kids to come and get me
Tell the stereotypes, look I tried them shits on...they didn't fit me
Tell whoever I wronged I apologize
& Tell me though it's bumps in the road, still I gotta ride
They tell me I got a lot of pride
I tell them how the FUCK you gon' tell me what I got inside
Then they wanna lecture a nigga
Tell me life is what you make it
That when I tell them I beg to differ
In Joe Budden's song "Do Tell," the rapper sends a message to various people in his life, addressing and expressing his emotions and thoughts to each one of them. The song starts with an apology to his mother for any hurt he may have caused her and goes on to express his love for his father, admiration for his older brother, and appreciation of his grandmother's friendship. He then goes on to express his desire for fame, his love for music, and his gratitude towards his friends and family members for their role in shaping his life.
As the song goes on, Budden also addresses his flaws, expressing regret for not being a good brother and acknowledging his own difficulty in dealing with failure. He further talks about his struggles with mental health and acknowledges the role of his girlfriend in being there for him through it all. The song ends with Budden asserting his independence and individuality, rejecting any external pressure to conform to stereotypes and societal expectations.
Overall, the song is a powerful reflection on the complexity of human relationships and the importance of self-reflection and growth. It highlights the need for honesty and authenticity in interpersonal interactions and encourages listeners to be true to themselves no matter the circumstances.
Line by Line Meaning
Tell my mother I'm sorry, I never meant to hurt her
Apologizing to my mother for any harm I caused her.
Even when I did I never meant to take it further
I never intended to make things worse.
Tell my father I love him, dot dot excetera
Send my love to my dad, etc.
He used to give me advice like a plethora
My father used to give me a lot of advice.
I tried to find myself but I was your replica
I was trying to discover myself, but ended up being just like you.
I mean I only tried to be what you never was
I was attempting to become what you were not.
Tell my older brother I'm bad at being a brother
Let my elder brother know that I am not good at being a sibling.
I know I never told you just how highly I think of ya
I have never expressed how much I admire you.
Tell my grandmother she always been a friend to me
Inform my grandma that she has been a great friend to me.
I would have visited more if I wasn't into me
I would have spent more time with her if I was not too busy with myself.
Tell Trey I think his mother is an asshole
Let Trey know that I have a low opinion of his mother.
When you get older you might understand how that go's
You may comprehend how this works when you are older.
Tell the hood I left, not for greed or wealth
Inform the neighborhood that I departed for my peace of mind, not for money or fame.
I did it for my own sanity & keep my health
I left for the sake of my mental and physical well-being.
I tried to bring a few with me, hoping we could cash in
I attempted to take a few people with me, hoping that we could be successful together.
But all they said is that I ain't do it in a timely fashion
My companions criticized me for not doing things quickly enough.
Tell... music she saved me when shit was adverse
Music saved me during difficult times.
My first love I give my life so she can have hers
Music is my first love, and I am willing to risk my life for it.
Tell my friends, each one, they taught me how to be one
Let all of my friends know that they taught me how to be a true friend.
I owe them part of everything I've become
I am indebted to them for a portion of my growth.
Tell fame I ain't want it, nah I'll keep it a hunnid
Let the spotlight know that I did not ask for it, and it is not important to me.
I try my best to go and get it but the nigga fronted
I do my best to achieve success, but it seems out of reach.
SO! I lie dormant, living through torment
Therefore, I lie dormant, experiencing great pain.
Tell cops I've got warrents I don't warrant
Inform the police that I have warrants I do not deserve.
Tell the therapist 'look I never thought I'd get here'
Tell my therapist that I never anticipated coming to therapy.
Somebody ask love why she ain't wanna live here
Someone should figure out why love does not want to exist here.
So in it's place is a lot of pride
Therefore, I have a lot of pride here instead.
Anybody thinking they know me, I apologize
I am sorry for anyone who thinks they know me but does not.
Grandpa is eighty plus still being strong
My grandfather, who is over 80 years old, is still going strong.
Tell the fake niggas 'keep on keeping on'
Tell the phony individuals to persist in their false behavior.
Faithfully tell anybody who hated me
Let anyone who disliked me know without fail.
Hastily, all it ever did was motivated me
Ultimately, it all just gave me the drive to succeed quickly.
They say I'm difficult, so to put it simply
People claim I am hard to work with, but to state it simply.
Tell the world I never cared it was against me
Inform the world that I never cared that it was against me.
Tell god to be there in case I fall
Ask God to be present in the event of my defeat.
Tell fans I never gyped em I always gave them my all
Let my supporters know that I never cheated them and always gave my best.
Tell my girl she put me through it
Inform my girlfriend that she caused me pain.
But if I had to go through it with anybody I'm thankful it's her
However, if I had to go through it with someone, I am grateful it is her.
For too long I hid behind my own insanity & got me caught up
I concealed myself behind my madness for too long, and it led to trouble.
And then Somebody tell currency I chased him to the death
Additionally, tell Currency I pursued him relentlessly.
I thought I'd catch the nigga until I ran out of breath
I believed I would overtake the individual until I was breathless.
Tell my bruises 'I'm fine, I'm good, I normally heal quick'
Assure my bruises that I am okay and will heal promptly as usual.
Tell the rain come down, I need to feeeeel it
Ask the rain to fall because I want to feel it.
I told a nigga give me a hand but he wouldn't
I requested assistance, but he declined to help.
I kept telling myself I can't until I couldn't
I persisted in telling myself that I could not do it until I could not.
If niggas wanna kill me tell em I already died
If anyone wants to end my life, let them know that I am already dead inside.
Tell anybody that will listen I tried
Inform anyone who will listen that I gave my best effort.
Til the water ran dry
Until there is no more water.
Tell the water to get the fuck out my eyes
Tell the tears to stop falling and leave my vision.
Tell the crust it tastes great but I much rather the pie
Tell the crust that it is delicious, but I would rather have the entire pie.
Ask success what I got to do to succeed
Question what I need to do to achieve success.
Then tell my twin brothers I look at em like my seeds
Then let my twin brothers know that I regard them as my offspring.
Ya'll will be the mouths I feed
You will be the ones I provide for.
If a nigga ever tell me how to rid myself of some of this greed
If anyone advises me on how to eliminate my greed.
I tell them that I'm grown, really I ain't finish growing
I would tell them that I am an adult, but in reality, I am still developing.
Look, tell failure I ain't wanna get to know him
Inform failure that I did not intend to be acquainted with him.
Tell the stick up kids to come and get me
Challenge the robbers to try and take what I have.
Tell the stereotypes, look I tried them shits on...they didn't fit me
Let the stereotypes know that I experimented with them, but they were not a good match for me.
Tell whoever I wronged I apologize
Apologize to anyone I have hurt.
And Tell me though it's bumps in the road, still I gotta ride
Remind me that although there will be obstacles, I must continue on.
They tell me I got a lot of pride
People say that I am very proud.
I tell them how the FUCK you gon' tell me what I got inside
I question how can they dare to inform me of what I possess within.
Then they wanna lecture a nigga
They want to give me a sermon.
Tell me life is what you make it
Inform me that life is how you make it.
That when I tell them I beg to differ
When I state my disagreement with them.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
King El Bey
Top 5 greatest songs of hip hop history !
From the concept, to the lyrical word play , the storyline , the truth behind the lyrics ! I felt so much of what he spoke on this song !
Bar for Bar ! I SWEAR I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS MASTERPIECE! If you really listen to this song like you should I’m almost certain you’ll feel my conviction as well !
“🎵And tell anybody that ever hated me/ truth be told all it ever did was motivated me”🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
🎵And tell currency I chased him to the death/
I thought I’ll always catch that nigga till I ran outta breath”/ 🔥🔥🔥🔥
🎵And Tell my friends each one/ they taught me how to be one/ I owe to them in my life everything I came to be-come /🔥🔥🔥🔥
#reallifebars #Reallifepain #Top5SongsofAllTime #DoTell
PADDED ROOM WAS NOT YOUR AVERAGE ABLUM It’s not new at all. Actually kinda old ,
I’ll say atleast 10-12yrs old. But in my eyes it’s a timeless masterpiece. Extremely underrated !
Not in my eyes !
Last thing before I go !! If you are still not convinced..... Just please do yourself a big favor you will never regret ! Off this album . LISTEN TO JOE PUDDEN
“ PADDED ROOM” his album is untitled Padded room but the (SONG) he wrote called Padded Room is insane! From the outta this world concept, to the beat , to his delivery, Back 2 Back Bars .... What he’s speaking on & who he’s speaking too! It’s crazy , & super creative ! #PaddedRoomTheSong
Once you tap in , you’ll THANK ME LATER!!!!
S/0 to DIRTY JERZY!! NJ BREEDS
“SUPERIOR LEGENDS” Do ya history ! Tho all those that have choose to read down this far Have a great day & I attract all positivity & a blessed , stress free productive day to whomever choose to read this long ! I hope you remain blessed on all levels and you remain stable , & strong MENTALLY AS WELL AS PHYSICALLY & EMOTIONALLY!
Aron Bennett
Play this at my funeral!!!
Cosmo Nite
This track should have more views
Jeremy Hutchings
I remember this whole album was hard af I first time I heard him always come back here.
xavier houston
joe go hard
Wilder Cruz
i was ready to jump on the ledge but lyrics got me like kna-ledge
Stewart2727
Sleeper hit
Suwar Junior
Oooo Ya really when I heard Budden.. Song I be on a fuckin mood.. Hit's that shit.. Joy
Gratefully Recovering Hypodermically Speaking
this helps thank joe