Joe Budden (born August 31, 1980 in Spanish Harlem, New York) is a rapper f… Read Full Bio ↴Joe Budden (born August 31, 1980 in Spanish Harlem, New York) is a rapper from Jersey City, New Jersey. In recent years he has come to prominence as one of the most skilled and sought-for rappers in the game, despite his best work being on the internet mixtape circuit.

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.

Give Me Reason
Joe Budden Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Whoahhhhhhhhh, whoa
Ladies and gentlemen, you now rockin with the best
(Geah) Jersey City, stand up
Patterson, stand up
Off top.. Just Blaze!

[Joe Budden]
Hold up nigga, slow up nigga

Don't start a war unless your dough's up, nigga
Know what nigga? Joe's up nigga
y'all shouldn't cry about it, grow up nigga
Guess what y'all? I know magic
I could make your pulse disappear and no hat trick
Death threats - it ain't phase me
When I bring the T-Mac through the Rucker y'all, it ain't Tracy
Sewed up nigga, low cut nigga
So keep talin bout your wrists froze up nigga
You might see 30 whips roll up nigga
We be at the pawn shop givin your Rol' up nigga
Just wanted to make that known, you seen _New Jersey Drive_
Round here, leave that Maybach home
Before we vick that homes, we be on y'all jerks
You'll find out the hard way if your On*Star works, cause

[Chorus: repeat 2X]
I don't, need a reason to bust my guns
So don't, give me reason to bust my guns
You might, be the reason I bust my gun
(Pa-pow, pa-pow - pa-pow, pa-pow)

[Joe Budden]
'Til my day's up nigga, stay up nigga
Play Tony Montana, get your face cut nigga
That goes out to all of you play thug niggaz
How you want it, long nose or the trey snub nigga?
Return and die dog, if I start clappin in your crib
Nah I ain't tryin to turn the lights off
Trapped on the chain, got the jewels and cape
Be like Jared, Subways made him lose his weight, but look
I'm bout gettin money for all races
Only oldie but goodie I know is small faces
Wait, make you sure you heard right; woulda been put the hit out
But I ain't tryin to get my third strike
Lace up nigga, say what nigga?
Your Maybelline raps that you make-up nigga
Wake up nigga, stakes up nigga
For all my locked-down and my cased-up niggaz, cause

[Chorus]

[Joe Budden]
Who's that nigga? New cat nigga
Don't disrespect, don't do that nigga
Hate to hear the sound of the tool clap nigga
Dual strap nigga when I do black niggaz
First hand with a three-eighty kickback
Brains on your lap dog, babysit that
Look, it's my turf, get up off the stoop now
I'm Omar Epps, who got the "Juice" now?
Street love nigga, G's up nigga
You lookin for a loan on your re-up nigga
Haters might want to put hollows in ya
When you're young black spendin like a lotto winner why'know
I'm grown up now, I'm done with Jake
When I say pounds y'all I'm talkin bout London cake
I can serve it to you uncut or somethin baked
Hope you ready for me folks, cause I'm comin your way, cause

[Chorus] - fades out

Overall Meaning

The song Give Me Reason by Joe Budden is a classic gangsta rap track that is meant to be an expression of his bravado, strength, and unwillingness to be underestimated or crossed. The lyrics talk about the importance of being tough and standing up for oneself in a world where there is a lot of competition and danger. Budden talks about how he is not afraid of death threats or of being threatened physically, and that he is always ready to defend himself with his gun.

The first verse of the song is quite intense and sets the tone for the rest of the track. Budden talks about how he is not afraid of starting a war with anyone, as long as he has the money to back him up. He goes on to say that he knows magic and can make anything disappear without even using a hat trick. He talks about the importance of being tough and not crying about things, and how he is always ready to face anything that comes his way. The chorus repeats the same mantra of not needing a reason to use his gun, and warns others not to give him one.

The second verse of the song goes on to talk about how he is always ready to face off against others, no matter how tough they might be. He talks about how he is the new kid on the block and how he doesn't want anyone to disrespect or underestimate him. He talks about his willingness to use his gun to defend himself and how he is not afraid of anyone.

Overall, the song is a classic gangsta rap anthem that speaks to the heart of anyone who has felt underestimated or threatened in life. It is a warning to others not to cross the rapper, as he is always ready to defend himself with his gun.

Line by Line Meaning

Hold up nigga, slow up nigga Don't start a war unless your dough's up, nigga Know what nigga? Joe's up nigga y'all shouldn't cry about it, grow up nigga
Don't start a fight unless you have enough money to back it up. I'm not afraid of anyone because I'm on top. Stop whining and be an adult.

Guess what y'all? I know magic I could make your pulse disappear and no hat trick Death threats - it ain't phase me When I bring the T-Mac through the Rucker y'all, it ain't Tracy
I'm so good at what I do that it's like magic. Don't try to scare me with death threats. When I play basketball, it's like I'm Tracy McGrady and I dominate.

Sewed up nigga, low cut nigga So keep talin bout your wrists froze up nigga You might see 30 whips roll up nigga We be at the pawn shop givin your Rol' up nigga Just wanted to make that known, you seen _New Jersey Drive_ Round here, leave that Maybach home Before we vick that homes, we be on y'all jerks You'll find out the hard way if your On*Star works, cause
I'm successful and I'll never be in debt. Don't talk about your jewelry because we might come and take it. If you've seen the movie New Jersey Drive, you know what we're capable of. Don't bring your expensive cars here because we might steal them, and you'll regret it if you need to call for help.

I don't, need a reason to bust my guns So don't, give me reason to bust my guns You might, be the reason I bust my gun (Pa-pow, pa-pow - pa-pow, pa-pow)
I don't need a justification for using my weapons. Don't make me feel like I have to use them. You might be the cause of me using my guns.

'Til my day's up nigga, stay up nigga Play Tony Montana, get your face cut nigga That goes out to all of you play thug niggaz How you want it, long nose or the trey snub nigga?
I'm willing to risk everything until I die. Don't pretend to be tough because you'll get hurt. This is a warning to all of the fake gangsters. Which kind of gun do you prefer?

Return and die dog, if I start clappin in your crib Nah I ain't tryin to turn the lights off Trapped on the chain, got the jewels and cape Be like Jared, Subways made him lose his weight, but look
If you come back to retaliate, you'll die. I don't want to hide in order to attack you. I've got all of your jewelry and you're trapped. Look at Jared from Subway, he lost weight after eating their food. That's nothing compared to what we can do to you.

I'm bout gettin money for all races Only oldie but goodie I know is small faces Wait, make you sure you heard right; woulda been put the hit out But I ain't tryin to get my third strike
I'm not racist, I want to make money from everyone. The only classic thing I know is a band called Small Faces. Just to be clear, I could have paid someone to attack you, but I don't want to risk getting a third criminal offense.

Lace up nigga, say what nigga? Your Maybelline raps that you make-up nigga Wake up nigga, stakes up nigga For all my locked-down and my cased-up niggaz, cause
Be ready for a fight. Don't rap like you're pretending to be someone you're not. Get ready for a tough battle. This is for all of my incarcerated and convicted homies.

Who's that nigga? New cat nigga Don't disrespect, don't do that nigga Hate to hear the sound of the tool clap nigga Dual strap nigga when I do black niggaz
I'm the new guy and you shouldn't mess with me. I hate the sound of guns firing. I always carry two guns.

First hand with a three-eighty kickback Brains on your lap dog, babysit that Look, it's my turf, get up off the stoop now I'm Omar Epps, who got the "Juice" now?
I've fired a gun before and I know how it feels. If I shoot you, your head will be in your lap. This is my territory, so leave if you're not welcome. I'm like Omar Epps, the character from the movie Juice who got the power.

Street love nigga, G's up nigga You lookin for a loan on your re-up nigga Haters might want to put hollows in ya When you're young black spendin like a lotto winner why'know
I love the streets and I'm proud to be a gangsta. Don't borrow money to buy more drugs. People who hate you might shoot at you. When you're young and black and have lots of money, you should be careful and not spend like you just won the lottery.

I'm grown up now, I'm done with Jake When I say pounds y'all I'm talkin bout London cake I can serve it to you uncut or somethin baked Hope you ready for me folks, cause I'm comin your way, cause
I'm an adult now and I'm not afraid of the police. When I talk about pounds, I'm referring to drugs from London. I can give them to you pure or mixed with other stuff. Be ready for me because I'm coming for you.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: JOSEPH ANTHONY BUDDEN, JUSTIN GREGORY SMITH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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