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.
Dream On
Joe Budden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now tell her we gotta clean this whole spot out
I don't care who she got coming I need five chairs
Tell Elva give me a mint Hookah
Give me a couple a peach Cirocs
And tell Bernice give me 10, 000 in singles
Parks keep me up in the headphones
Let me talk some shit to them real quick
[Verse:]
They tell me life's a bitch I'm just celebrating fuckin' it
Table full of bottles now its looking like my bucket list
Forward thinker I ain't one to regress
Payin' no mind to these bitches they just come with success
I spent Christmases giftless, went too many Decembers broke
Never got a stamp but found a way to push the envelope (envelope)
They told me I'd be dead I'd never make it out
If I ain't accomplish shit else least I erased the doubt
I'm so unassuming I can't figure why I'm hated now
Even made depression seem like that wasn't a major bout
My dreams big, niggas tried to take 'em down
The jewel is in the perspective not the other way around
See my persona is calmer, Obama blended with Dahmer
Ever ponder your karma, manana could see a llama
And if a nigga do, won't be complaints from me
I'll be all good with it, I did all I could with it (let's go)
[Hook:]
Chasing a dream doing what they say I couldn't have
Spending money the government say I shouldn't have
Uhh, and I'm taking my team with me
Cause if none of its real my niggas gon' dream with me
Dream on chic-a chic-a dream on
If ever one of you fall I'm here for you to lean on
Dream on chic-a chic-a dream on
Steel sharpens steel until the whole teams strong
[Verse 2:]
This could've went totally different
See I could've been Heist and Heist could've been me
We did the same B&E's
Same charges, same guns I popped off, he was away by then
Had to do seven in that 8 x 10
Came home to no belongings, everything to gain and nothing to lose
I'm in the polar opposite shoes
He wonder why we ain't as close as we was
How can I say its been years, I'm not the Joe that I was
He see the car, the crib, a few chicks, and think its come to fruition
If he knew the tuition I paid would view it different
Then we'd be in agreeance, cash won't be a grievance
Down playing my achievements, afraid of how you'll receive them
Our bond is forever, I ain't gotta hide that
If I got, then you got, you can tell your pride that
I'll share it all, no complaints from me
Sometimes we all need a hand, real niggas understand
[Hook:]
Chasing a dream doing what they say I couldn't have
Spending money the government say I shouldn't have
Uhh, and I'm taking my team with me
Cause if none of its real my niggas gon' dream with me
Dream on chic-a chic-a dream on
If ever one of you fall I'm here for you to lean on
Dream on chic-a chic-a dream on
Steel sharpens steel until the whole teams strong
[Verse 3:]
See the fame I never asked for it
I'd have been cool in a Rav-4 delivering packages door to door
Ain't ask for the scrutiny, the acts of buffoonery
From muh fuckers who ain't never been in a room with me
Fuck my perception, all of it is deception
Can't fuck just to fuck, got to use my discretion
But, that don't take away from the blessing
Nah, I'd do it all over within a second
Providing for the fam, beats riding in the Lam
Riding for the fans, feel like catching lightning in a can
Understand, was built for this, made for it
Prayed for it, forget I even get paid for it
Forced to learn the game on our own without the coaches
Talent went unnoticed, this is hope for the hopeless
They get it all no complaints from me
Cause they gon love how it feel when the dream become real
Joey
[Hook:]
Chasing a dream doing what they say I couldn't have
Spending money the government say I shouldn't have
Uhh, and I'm taking my team with me
Cause if none of its real my niggas gon' dream with me
Dream on chic-a chic-a dream on
If ever one of you fall I'm here for you to lean on
Dream on chic-a chic-a dream on
Steel sharpens steel until the whole teams strong
In Joe Budden's song Dream On, he speaks on his rise to success and references various challenges he's faced along the way. He touches on the theme of chasing dreams, despite any setbacks or obstacles that come your way. Budden recognizes that he's faced opposition and doubters but he's overcome them all. He's learned to make the most of every opportunity presented to him and keep pushing forward. The chorus emphasizes the idea of never giving up on your dreams and standing by the people that believe in you even when others doubt you.
One of the interesting things about this song is that it was released as part of Joe Budden's last album prior to announcing his retirement from the music industry. He's since come out of retirement and released new music but at the time, Dream On held special significance as his final musical offering. It's also worth noting that this track samples the song Into the Night by Chad Kroeger and Santana.
Another fascinating aspect of this song is how it speaks to the importance of staying true to yourself and your values. Budden talks about how fame and fortune weren't what he was seeking, but he's made the most of his platform and used it to make a positive impact on his community. He's also been vocal about mental health and addiction issues, and he's spoken about his own experiences in dealing with these struggles. Essentially, the song serves as a reminder that despite how much you achieve, it's important to hold onto the things that ground you and keep you centered.
Overall, Dream On is a powerful and introspective track that speaks to the ups and downs of chasing your dreams. It emphasizes the importance of hard work, perseverance, and staying true to your values.
Line by Line Meaning
Now tell her we gotta clean this whole spot out
Start getting the place cleaned up
I don't care who she got coming I need five chairs
I need five chairs, whoever is coming doesn't matter
Tell Elva give me a mint Hookah
Give me a couple a peach Cirocs
Ask Elva for a mint Hookah and some peach Cirocs
And tell Bernice give me 10, 000 in singles
Parks keep me up in the headphones
Let me talk some shit to them real quick
Tell Bernice to give me 10,000 dollars in singles, Parks keep the headphones on and let me talk to them for a bit
They tell me life's a bitch I'm just celebrating fuckin' it
People say life is tough, but I'm just enjoying it
Table full of bottles now its looking like my bucket list
I have a table full of liquor bottles and it looks like my bucket list
Forward thinker I ain't one to regress
I'm a forward thinker, I don't go backwards
Payin' no mind to these bitches they just come with success
I don't pay attention to these women who just come with success
I spent Christmases giftless, went too many Decembers broke
Never got a stamp but found a way to push the envelope (envelope)
I never had gifts for Christmas, and went through many Decembers with no money. I never had a stamp, but found a way to push past that.
They told me I'd be dead I'd never make it out
If I ain't accomplish shit else least I erased the doubt
People said I'd never make it out alive, but at least I erased the doubt by achieving something
I'm so unassuming I can't figure why I'm hated now
I'm not arrogant or conceited, so I don't understand why people hate me now
Even made depression seem like that wasn't a major bout
I even made my battle with depression seem like it wasn't a major issue
My dreams big, niggas tried to take 'em down
My dreams are big and people have tried to bring them down
The jewel is in the perspective not the other way around
See my persona is calmer, Obama blended with Dahmer
Ever ponder your karma, manana could see a llama
And if a nigga do, won't be complaints from me
I'll be all good with it, I did all I could with it (let's go)
The most valuable thing is how you see things. My persona is calm, blending Obama and Dahmer. Have you ever thought of your karma? Tomorrow could bring danger, but I won't complain, I did all I could do
Chasing a dream doing what they say I couldn't have
Spending money the government say I shouldn't have
Uhh, and I'm taking my team with me
Cause if none of its real my niggas gon' dream with me
Dream on chic-a chic-a dream on
If ever one of you fall I'm here for you to lean on
Steel sharpens steel until the whole teams strong
Chasing my dream, doing what people say I can't. Spending money the government says I shouldn't. Taking my team with me, because if it's not real, my friends will dream with me. I'm here for you to lean on if you fall. We all make each other stronger.
This could've went totally different
See I could've been Heist and Heist could've been me
We did the same B&E's
Same charges, same guns I popped off, he was away by then
Had to do seven in that 8 x 10
Came home to no belongings, everything to gain and nothing to lose
I'm in the polar opposite shoes
He wonder why we ain't as close as we was
How can I say its been years, I'm not the Joe that I was
He see the car, the crib, a few chicks, and think its come to fruition
If he knew the tuition I paid would view it different
Then we'd be in agreeance, cash won't be a grievance
Down playing my achievements, afraid of how you'll receive them
Our bond is forever, I ain't gotta hide that
If I got, then you got, you can tell your pride that
I'll share it all, no complaints from me
Sometimes we all need a hand, real niggas understand
This could have gone differently. I could have been Heist and he could have been me. We did the same things and got the same charges, but I was caught and went to prison. I came home with nothing to gain and nothing to lose, but now I'm in a better position. He wonders why we aren't as close as we used to be. I can't be the same person I was before. He sees my car, my house and my girlfriends and thinks everything has come to fruition. If he knew the sacrifices I made, he would see things differently. Money won't be an issue if we can agree on this. Don't down play my achievements because you're afraid of how people might treat you. Our bond is forever, I don't have to hide that. If I have, then you have too. I'll share everything with you, and there won't be any complaints. Sometimes we all need a little help, real friends understand that.
See the fame I never asked for it
I'd have been cool in a Rav-4 delivering packages door to door
Ain't ask for the scrutiny, the acts of buffoonery
From muh fuckers who ain't never been in a room with me
Fuck my perception, all of it is deception
Can't fuck just to fuck, got to use my discretion
But, that don't take away from the blessing
Nah, I'd do it all over within a second
Providing for the fam, beats riding in the Lam
Riding for the fans, feel like catching lightning in a can
Understand, was built for this, made for it
Prayed for it, forget I even get paid for it
Forced to learn the game on our own without the coaches
Talent went unnoticed, this is hope for the hopeless
They get it all no complaints from me
Cause they gon love how it feel when the dream become real
I never asked for fame, I would have been happy delivering packages door to door. I didn't ask for people to scrutinize me, or act like buffoons. These people have never even been in a room with me. Screw my perception, it's all deception. I don't sleep around, I use discretion. But that doesn't take away from the fact that it's a blessing. I'd do it all over again in a second. Providing for my family is better than riding in a Lamborghini, and riding for my fans feels like catching lightning in a bottle. I was built for this, made for it, and I prayed for it. Forget that I even get paid for it. We had to learn the game on our own without the coaches, which gave hope to the hopeless. I don't have any complaints, they will love how it feels when the dream becomes real.
Contributed by Alyssa D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Samzilla
Music for real people who ain't rich or fake get em joe
The shit program!
Fwd:http://youtu.be/p6eWTE-jQkw check out my new video and album pls leave a comment http://www.datpiff.com/Gaven-Gray-Soul-Food-mixtape.356934.html rt #imnext classic
President SK
Why would someone dislike this? Joe never disappoints #ThumbsUp
Ras Black child
I always come back here because I can relate to Joe's music.... " Never got a stamp by always find the way to push the envelope" 😥
Steve Zion
Heavy track!! On some deep shit too. Joe as a rapper was alright, I wasn’t always a fan of his but his music naturally found its way to me and yeah I feel it.
ali hamza
a legend we will appreciate when its gone ...
Ariel Osorio
Providing for the fam beats riding in the lamb! Deep as fuck! Def one of joeys best track!
Adam Christopher
best to ever do it. real rap
null null
Dude joe budden is the man, he signed my shirt at "rock da bells" still have it. big ups to joey!
Chief Executive Officer
Keep puttin out the real shit bro, great releases the past few weeks. Hopefully multiple projects comin.