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.

Invisible Man
Joe Budden Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When im alone in my room, sometimes i stare at the wall
With the phone off, near withdrawal.
Gotta paranoia problem so im known to keep a trigga around yall
BIG told me they b prayin for a nigga downfall
Im vacationin on a beach with no sand
Tryin to check the time on a clock with no hands
Feels like im gettin close, but im no where near it
I touch it but dont feel, listen but dont hear it

Starin out a project window, wen the man stresses
Me and mental got two different addresses
Ones national, trumph international
Rational, one is still stuck on the avenue
If you dont understand fine, my bodys playin hine with the mind tryin to escape but layin mines, revamp designed the search but cant find, the times when the future was a tanline.
Damn shit was much brighter then
Now its just vitamins mixed in with vicodins.
If they gunna set yu up to lose why try to win
Cause a scar dont stop nothin on a viking skin
So niggas can come after me
Even intelligent hoodlums become tradgies
I move in silence, the jadakiss of jerz
And when in comes to benjamins, i dont say a word ya heard.

A shine of chrome on the cufflink
Step out tear down the party and the club scene but i think its obscene
The lifestyles of the rich and shameless
I pick anonymity over being famous
From the start, even if they dont see it i play a part,
Rather then sell a record, rather do it from the heart.
I rather put me before yall, i know niggas might call it self centered, i call that being smart,
So i stand behind mics, not even worried about the lime light,
That effects when the times right
If i was kayne i wouldnt have these problems
But then id have kaynes problems
Blessed with everything that ever fronted on the planet
But lose the only thing i ever wanted on the planet
Back on the canvas, just lost my man with granite, im always counted, grant it
Ive been where yu tryin to go, the car said it
Bigimy is not strong minded its hard headed
Thought i was on the right route tackling the game
Till they handcuffed my mouth, put shackles on my brain
Powerless stranger, gone but still here
Kitty cat my career, put it in a wheelchair

Keep the deal fair, nothing but real here
Amazed after all these years i still care ii swear

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Invisible Man" by Joe Budden feat. Emanny is an emotional expression of the rapper's feeling of isolation and paranoia. In the first verse, Joe Budden talks about his state of being alone in his room, staring at the wall with his phone off - this is indicative of him being in a dark place, both physically and mentally. He also mentions that he has a "paranoia problem" and keeps a gun around for protection. He feels like he's being targeted, as the late rapper Notorious B.I.G once warned him that people are praying for his downfall.

In the second verse, Budden expresses his disillusionment with fame and wealth. He talks about how he would rather stay anonymous than be famous and lose his sense of self. He further emphasizes this point by saying that he would rather do music from the heart, rather than selling out to make a record. The rapper also touches on the challenges he faces in the music industry, including being handcuffed and losing control over his art.

Overall, "Invisible Man" is a powerful statement on the darker side of fame and the impact it has on the psyche. It speaks volumes about the rapper's state of mind, as he deals with trust issues, anxiety and paranoia.

Line by Line Meaning

When im alone in my room, sometimes i stare at the wall
There are times when I'm alone and I have nothing to do, so I just sit and stare at the wall.

With the phone off, near withdrawal.
I often turn off my phone because I don't want to be bothered by anyone.

Gotta paranoia problem so im known to keep a trigga around yall
I have trust issues and I feel like I need to protect myself, so I carry a gun with me.

BIG told me they b prayin for a nigga downfall
I feel like people are waiting for me to fail, and it bothers me.

Im vacationin on a beach with no sand
I feel like I'm taking a break from life, but it's not really a break because I don't have peace of mind.

Tryin to check the time on a clock with no hands
I feel lost and confused, and I don't know what time it is or what direction I'm supposed to be heading in.

Feels like im gettin close, but im no where near it
I feel like I'm making progress, but in reality, I'm not really getting any closer to achieving my goals.

I touch it but dont feel, listen but dont hear it
I go through the motions and try to experience things, but I don't really feel anything or derive any pleasure from it.

Starin out a project window, wen the man stresses
I feel trapped and suffocated by my environment, and sometimes it causes me stress.

Me and mental got two different addresses
There's a disconnect between my emotions and my logical thinking, which often causes inner turmoil.

Ones national, trump international
My emotions are deep-seated and sometimes feel like they're rooted in something beyond myself.

Rational, one is still stuck on the avenue
My logical thinking is more grounded in the present and the tangible, while my emotions are more connected to my past experiences and memories.

If you dont understand fine, my bodys playin hine with the mind tryin to escape but layin mines, revamp designed the search but cant find, the times when the future was a tanline.
It's okay if you don't understand me completely, because even I struggle to understand my own thoughts and emotions. My mind is constantly working to sort through conflicting feelings and impulses, and it often feels like I'm working against myself to achieve peace of mind.

Damn shit was much brighter then
Things used to be so much better, and now everything feels dark and hopeless.

Now its just vitamins mixed in with vicodins.
I'm trying to manage my emotions and find some peace by taking medications, but I'm afraid I'm becoming addicted.

If they gunna set yu up to lose why try to win
Sometimes it feels like the odds are stacked against me, and I wonder why I even bother trying to succeed.

Cause a scar dont stop nothin on a viking skin
I'm resilient and I can handle pain and adversity, because I'm like a Viking warrior who won't back down.

So niggas can come after me
I know that there are people who don't like me and might try to hurt me or bring me down.

Even intelligent hoodlums become tradgies
No matter how smart or savvy you are, you can still fall victim to bad circumstances or poor decisions.

I move in silence, the jadakiss of jerz
I prefer to keep a low profile and avoid drawing attention to myself, like the rapper Jadakiss from New Jersey.

And when in comes to benjamins, i dont say a word ya heard.
I'm good at making money and managing my finances, but I don't like to brag about it.

A shine of chrome on the cufflink
I have some nice things and I like to dress up sometimes.

Step out tear down the party and the club scene but i think its obscene
I don't really like going out and partying, even though I'm good at it.

The lifestyles of the rich and shameless
I'm not impressed by people who flaunt their wealth and status, because I think it's distasteful.

I pick anonymity over being famous
I would rather live a quiet life out of the public eye than be a famous celebrity.

From the start, even if they dont see it i play a part,
I know that I'm not always fully genuine with people, and I sometimes put on a facade or a mask to hide my true feelings.

Rather then sell a record, rather do it from the heart.
I would rather create honest, meaningful art than sell out and make music that isn't true to who I am.

I rather put me before yall, i know niggas might call it self centered, i call that being smart,
I prioritize my own well-being and happiness over others', which might seem selfish to some, but I believe it's important to take care of myself first.

So i stand behind mics, not even worried about the lime light,
I enjoy making music and performing, but I don't do it for the fame or attention.

That effects when the times right
I believe that if I continue to work hard and be true to myself, success will come in due time.

If i was kayne i wouldnt have these problems
I sometimes envy people who seem to have it all together, like the rapper Kanye West, but I know that everyone struggles in their own ways.

But then id have kaynes problems
If I were as famous and successful as Kanye West, I would have to deal with a whole other set of challenges and pressures.

Blessed with everything that ever fronted on the planet
I have many blessings and advantages in life that most people don't have.

But lose the only thing i ever wanted on the planet
Even though I have many good things in my life, I still feel like something is missing and I haven't achieved my ultimate goals.

Back on the canvas, just lost my man with granite, im always counted, grant it
I feel like I'm starting over from scratch, and recently I lost someone close to me who was like a rock. However, I know that I still have many blessings and reasons to be grateful.

Ive been where yu tryin to go, the car said it
I've experienced many things in life that other people are still trying to achieve or understand.

Bigimy is not strong minded its hard headed
I can be stubborn and resistant to change at times, even though I know it's not always in my best interest.

Thought i was on the right route tackling the game
I used to feel like I knew what I was doing and was making progress, but now I'm not so sure.

Till they handcuffed my mouth, put shackles on my brain
I feel like other people are trying to control me and limit my freedom of expression and thought.

Powerless stranger, gone but still here
I sometimes feel like a stranger in my own life, with no control and no way out, even though I'm physically still present.

Kitty cat my career, put it in a wheelchair
My career is struggling and not doing as well as it used to, and sometimes it feels like it's crippled or immobilized.

Keep the deal fair, nothing but real here
I try to be honest and genuine in my dealings with others, and I expect the same from them.

Amazed after all these years i still care ii swear
Even though I've experienced a lot of disappointment and setbacks, I still feel passionate and invested in my work and my life.

Contributed by Adalyn L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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