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.
Not Your Average Joe
Joe Budden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Okay Slay, you called in the right niggaz man
Yeah, JUMP OFF! (Yeah uhh, KaySlay)
Joey Crack, I see you out there in the be -X baby!
(Cook coke crack)
[Chorus: Joe]
Sweat is our cologne ? we grindin
Duece to the game ? we payed 'em
Hits for why'all the same ? we bring 'em
Oh my, look what we got
Three boss players chillin in one spot
It's Joe and then we got Joe and then we got Joe
and then - it's whoa-whoa-whoa
[Fat Joe]
Yeah, uhh, yo, uhh
I gotta be "The Flyest" like my homie from Q-be
Niggaz know the Don be the sickest with jewelry
Niggaz seen the TS piece, and got they weight up
Do you see the size of this charm, Mr. Jacob
Nigga get your cake up, want to get bling'd out
Whether sky-blue or chinchill, I'm minked out
Down in Miami, bitches say they love me
Niggaz gettin mad cause the bitches want to fuck me
Always lend an ear when they man ain't listenin
Put somethin mean in they ear to glisten
Put 'em in the kitchen, let 'em get they bake on
Love it how your ass fallin out of the apron
We be makin love on the side of the road
in the back of the Maybach, the curtain is closed
You know how it go, we be laid back puffin the dro
Then it's back to the crib down on Coconut Grove
Youuuu know
[Chorus]
[Joe Budden]
Okay, hold up ? baby sweetie, lady darling
It's the, way you treat me; wait nah
It's the way I tap that last, she callin me pat that back
Ah dios mios when I smack that ass
It's that, pimped out demeanor
She pimped out with Senior, it's the good limp with the Nina
How I spit the 'caine game like I came from Yale
How the cops can't hold me, my name is bail
She tryna get up now, and zip to white-on-white Uptowns
to that white from Uptown that got her like what now
Got her tryna wine-dine, grind a little what now
Got her with a eye on eye in every club now
How I'm on the street with the steel
How I ain't gotta play the role; I'm bein myself, just keepin it real
Is it cause I'm givin her somethin that she could feel
Or how I get that change or is it just that name - JOEY!
[Chorus]
[Fat Joe]
Me and you..
Yo' momma and you girlfriends too..
We can take this to recharge..
And maybe we can do a men? - haha
It ain't shit, man my life's a movie
Keep your mom bitches, man I fuck me a groupie
She let a nigga beat it the back of the staircase
All the bitch need is a blunt and a Pelle, if that
[Joe Budden]
Dudes wonder why I'm M.I.A.
It's cause I'm back real quiet on the back of the bike in M-I-A
You can get up out that Hyundai boo
Lookin like she off the runway too
Meet me at the crib you can come straight through
Never shoes or pumps,
straight boots like she strip at Sue's Rendezvous
But oops ? come cool with it, what you want do with it
Joe ma, remember the name and get used to it
[Chorus]
[Joe]
Whoa, whoa-ohhhh, whoa..
The song "Not Your Average Joe" by Joe Budden featuring Fat Joe is a hip-hop track that speaks about the luxurious lifestyle that these two rappers lead. The song starts with the introduction by both rappers and then goes to the chorus where they talk about their grind, their Ballin lifestyle and the hits that they bring. Fat Joe speaks about his jewelry and the size of his charm, and he also talks about how he is the flyest guy in the game. He mentions how he makes women fall for him and how he can be sexually involved with them in the back of the Maybach, and how he is always one step ahead of everybody. Joe Budden talks about his pimped-out personality and how he can spit the "caine game" like he came from Yale, and how he is not acting, but being himself.
The song is a representation of the lavish lifestyle that rappers lead and how they make women fall for them. It is also a representation of how they put themselves first and are always one step ahead of everybody. The song gives insight into how these two rappers are not average Joes, but are unique in their ways.
Line by Line Meaning
Okay Slay, you called in the right niggaz man
The right people have been summoned by DJ KaySlay
Sweat is our cologne ? we grindin
Our hard work and determination is our aroma
House-landin homes ? we ballin
We're successful in purchasing properties and living luxuriously
Duece to the game ? we payed 'em
We've paid our dues to the game and have earned our place in it
Hits for why'all the same ? we bring 'em
We create hits that are unique and unmatched
It's Joe and then we got Joe and then we got Joe
and then - it's whoa-whoa-whoa
There are three skilled performers named Joe present, causing excitement
I gotta be "The Flyest" like my homie from Q-be
Fat Joe aims to be as stylish as his friend from Queensbridge
Niggaz know the Don be the sickest with jewelry
Niggaz seen the TS piece, and got they weight up
Do you see the size of this charm, Mr. Jacob
Fat Joe is known for having the best jewelry and flaunts his new piece by designer, Jacob.
Nigga get your cake up, want to get bling'd out
Whether sky-blue or chinchill, I'm minked out
Fat Joe encourages others to invest in themselves and enjoy the finer things in life, as he does.
Down in Miami, bitches say they love me
Niggaz gettin mad cause the bitches want to fuck me
Always lend an ear when they man ain't listenin
Put somethin mean in they ear to glisten
Put 'em in the kitchen, let 'em get they bake on
Love it how your ass fallin out of the apron
We be makin love on the side of the road
in the back of the Maybach, the curtain is closed
Fat Joe shares his lavish lifestyle and what he does to make women feel special. He also enjoys having sex in random places
Okay, hold up ? baby sweetie, lady darling
It's the, way you treat me; wait nah
It's the way I tap that last, she callin me pat that back
Ah dios mios when I smack that ass
Joe Budden admires how his lover treats him, but is equally pleased with himself when they engage in sexual activities
It's that, pimped out demeanor
She pimped out with Senior, it's the good limp with the Nina
How I spit the 'caine game like I came from Yale
How the cops can't hold me, my name is bail
She tryna get up now, and zip to white-on-white Uptowns
to that white from Uptown that got her like what now
Joe Budden's people skills win over women, he references drugdealing using jargon and similes, and shares how his record cancels any criminal charges he may face.
Dudes wonder why I'm M.I.A.
It's cause I'm back real quiet on the back of the bike in M-I-A
You can get up out that Hyundai boo
Lookin like she off the runway too
Meet me at the crib you can come straight through
Never shoes or pumps,straight boots like she strip at Sue's Rendezvous
But oops ? come cool with it, what you want do with it
Joe ma, remember the name and get used to it
Joe Budden makes references to sneaking around Miami on his bike and engaging in sexual activities with an attractive woman. He asks her what she wants to do and suggests she remember his name
Me and you..
Yo' momma and you girlfriends too..
We can take this to recharge..
And maybe we can do a men? - haha
It ain't shit, man my life's a movie
Keep your mom bitches, man I fuck me a groupie
She let a nigga beat it the back of the staircase
All the bitch need is a blunt and a Pelle, if that
Fat Joe proposes a sexual encounter to Joe Budden and references his promiscuous behavior, being a player, and a movie director or actor. He boasts about having sex with a groupie and engaging in sneaky sex
Whoa, whoa-ohhhh, whoa..
An exclamation or response to the events that have taken place
Lyrics © JELLYBEAN MUSIC GROUP, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Missing Link Music, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID JAMES WOLINSKI, ERNEST E. DIXON, JOSEPH ANTHONY BUDDEN, JOSEPH ANTHONY CARTAGENA, MARK KEITH CURRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Stephan Fiedler
This still gives me chills in 2021
Birdie Brietling
If you like the beat on this song, you will like this freestyle version to it: https://youtu.be/W8MQ3Ab-87E
Emmanuel Andrews
This Was A Major Hit... I Remember When This Came Out Back In 2004... Good Times🤤
BabyFaceAlTu
Only real heads would understand how important and greatness this song is
Bryant Lamar
Classic forever! RIP DJ KAYSLAY!
KalphaO
I just want a podcast episode where Joe recounts how this song was even pitched. 😂😂😂
BLK ZEBRA
“3 boss playas chillin’ one spot”
Jaye Bogar
Lol I forgot what episode it was but rory clowned him hella hard for this song.
PLS
I remember when this joint dropped 🔥 ... this was to fire to be a dud ... but it was somehow .....the hate was real I was already waiting on a trio album .... joe and them was a good catch phrase 💪🏿💪🏿💪🏿
Kuahmel Allah
I used to hear this beat on Power 106 for local dealership Cerritos Ford. It took the passing of the God Kay Slay to finally learn what this song was called. This song slaps heavily!