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.
Ghetto America Snippet
Joe Budden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Or played like, "Nah, not at all my man"
And these five hundred feet, me and all my fam
With them M16's and them 4′s in hand
And if it's against me, abort that plan, it's like
Just when you thought he wasn′t lookin′, "I saw that man"
Turn into Jigsaw, I might saw that man
Then somebody might snitch like, "I saw that man"
Turn my jam up loud for the man of the hour
Benz and every H-U-M in the in the Goward
Nah, never ran, not a coward
Keep a gun by me, I learnt that from Cam up in coward
"Fam, you want grams of that powder?"
Some dirty dudes with me like they ain't big fans of the shower
Me? I let the mounds of laundry pile up
And hire your house help like I′m Angela Bower
Ghetto America, lend me your ear
Got some things that I need you to hear
And it go like: Money, cars, hoes, guns that pop loud
Those the only things us ghetto niggas about
Now Jersey (come on) Queens, nigga (come on)
Brooklyn (ow) Harlem (come on)
Ladies get naked, niggas can get tired
Know I'ma be ghetto ′til I die, tell 'em why
In this snippet of Joe Budden's song "Ghetto America", the rapper expresses his toughness and the measures he and his crew are prepared to take to protect themselves. He emphasizes that he's not one to be messed with and that he and his family are well-equipped with M16's and 4's. He warns his enemies that he's always vigilant and ready to act. The rapper further emphasizes his toughness and fearlessness, asserting that he's not a coward and has learned to keep a gun beside him at all times, from Cam. Budden also alludes to his somewhat unconventional lifestyle, mentioning that he lets laundry pile up and hires house help like Angela Bower.
Line by Line Meaning
No, I ain't the type to be toyed with, played with
I'm not someone who can be easily controlled or manipulated
Or played like, "Nah, not at all my man"
I won't tolerate being treated disrespectfully or being lied to
And these five hundred feet, me and all my fam
My family and I are always together, willing to protect ourselves from harm
With them M16's and them 4's in hand
We're armed with heavy-duty weapons to defend ourselves in the face of danger
And if it's against me, abort that plan, it's like
Anyone who tries to oppose me will regret it
Just when you thought he wasn't looking, "I saw that man"
I'm always aware of my surroundings and won't let anyone get away with anything suspicious
Turn into Jigsaw, I might saw that man
If anyone tries to harm me or my family, I won't hesitate to retaliate in a brutal way
Then somebody might snitch like, "I saw that man"
Others might try to report me or turn me in for taking actions to protect myself
Turn my jam up loud for the man of the hour
I celebrate myself and the protection I offer myself and my family
Benz and every H-U-M in the Goward
I have nice cars and luxurious things that I show off as proof of my success
Nah, never ran, not a coward
I'm not someone who runs away from danger or allows fear to control me
Keep a gun by me, I learnt that from Cam up in coward
I carry a gun with me everywhere I go, a lesson I learned from Cam'ron, who is also from a rough background
"Fam, you want grams of that powder?"
I have connections for drug deals and am willing to engage in illegal activities
Some dirty dudes with me like they ain't big fans of the shower
I associate with other people who are also willing to break the law and live a rough lifestyle
Me? I let the mounds of laundry pile up
I don't care about maintaining a clean or organized living space because I am busy focusing on more important things
And hire your house help like I'm Angela Bower
I use my wealth to hire others to do menial tasks for me, similar to how the character Angela Bower does in the TV show 'Who's the Boss?'
Ghetto America, lend me your ear
I want to speak to those who come from similar backgrounds or experiences as me
Got some things that I need you to hear
I have important messages to convey to those who understand my perspective
And it go like: Money, cars, hoes, guns that pop loud
The values of those from the ghetto often center around acquiring wealth, luxury items, sexual partners, and weapons
Those the only things us ghetto niggas about
We focus solely on these materialistic things because they are what we believe to be the only means of success or happiness available to us
Now Jersey (come on) Queens, nigga (come on)
I represent for those coming from areas in New Jersey and Queens, New York who share my experiences and values
Brooklyn (ow) Harlem (come on)
I also represent for those from the Brooklyn and Harlem boroughs of New York City who can relate to my perspective
Ladies get naked, niggas can get tired
I objectify women and see them as nothing more than sexual objects, with men becoming tired and disinterested in them easily
Know I'ma be ghetto 'til I die, tell 'em why
I will always identify with the ghetto lifestyle and those from similar backgrounds because it is all I have known and experienced
Writer(s): C4
Contributed by Cole I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.