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.
OLS4
Joe Budden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We won't neva get on track like this
How can I eva tell ya how I feel if ya react like this?
Ya call me ova here to talk not get attacked like this
Its funny
Got yo track shoes on but what ya runnin' from
Shit I know where ya goin' & where ya comin' from
That's immaturity showin', its just the baby in ya
Tired of hearin' how ya'll neva trust me again
How ya luv me, then ya hate me, then ya luv me again
One minute I'm yo soul-mate then it's fuck me again
Until ya get horny enough & wanna fuck me again
But check it
I just wanna treat ya good & do betta
Ya think I'm runnin' around tryna be the hoods Hugh Heffner
Sayin' I'm all about hoes, when I'm all about ya
Even when I'm wit my hoes, I tell them all about ya
Say that's just one reason I keep losin' ya
I don't understand it, that shit is confusin' 2
Ya left me, I'm doin' me, ya doin' ya
So what the fuck is me doin' me have to do wit ya
How dare ya tell me its tougher fo' ya?
Like I don't hear about them niggas ya fucking wit 2
I had neva knew ya thought like that
Who knew ya was into sports like that
Mo' prayers cuz they all players
Ya out there havin' a ball, playa
Ball player afta ball playa
I mean ya wit the ball players mo' than ball players
Hope they ain't fuckin' ya & makin' ya they ball-player
Come to me, I just get a hard time
Why they give one to ya, is this what ya wanna do?
Wit me ya get an attitude, ya get all stuck up
Start callin' me a fuck up until I tell ya shut the fuck up
But the part I don't respect is
Ya so cool wit erry otha one of yo exes
It's history between us, all ain't right either
Back & forth domestic, call it fight feva
Be wantin' ya close to me
Supposedly, ya say ya ova me
That just come across as a joke to me
Cuz ya ain't got the luv that expires
Worst case, ya'll get tired
Tell yo friends I'm a liar
Tried therapy when we felt it goin' sour
That's four hunid dollas erry hour
Fo' him to come & mediate, referee, be our interpreter
Tell me I need to lower my voice, don't curse at her
Says she's only frustrated cuz I keep hurtin' her
Tell me despite all that, he can tell that I worship her
Soon as ya let yo guard down, I get it up again
Fixin' it is 2 much work, so I give up again
But I wanna spend the rest of my life wit ya
Make a wife wit ya, make it alright wit ya
But how are ya eva suppose to think that I'm right fo' ya
When all I eva do is treat ya like a recyclable
Disgraceful & ya want me to chase ya
But its easier fo' me to replace ya
Cuz I see it like
If ya can't deal wit what we go thru
I got bitches lined up, I got an ego 2
And to them I'm errythin'
Funny, I'm great & I'm charmin'
But to ya I'm alarmin', all I do is bring harm in
To ya, I'm the cuz of all yo misery
Of course I disagree, ya goin' off our history
All that arguin' just ain't my style
Cuz that anger now got us like strangers now
Ya tell me I should get help & I'm sick in the head
Ya found make up on the sheets, I had a bitch in our bed
But wait, I ain't luv her tho, I ain't fuck her tho
I could dead that bitch right now man, fuck that ho
Ya just think I'll get anotha & anotha ho
Way ya talk to me its like I got a whole club of hoes
But I could switch gears, make them all disappear
Ya goin' thru my phone like I got a bitch in there
We discussin' chicks afta they thru
They don't matter to me, but fo' sum' reason they matter to ya
We keep havin' the same threesome
But not kind of come as a blessin'
Ya keep bringin' up my last girl
Like she ain't my past girl like ya ain't the reason she present
Check it
Ya ain't got to worry about me & her
If I wanted to be wit her I would be wit her
Yeah we hung together
Strip clubs had fun together
But that's done, don't sweat her
Ya the only one I wanna do a bid wit
Live wit, share my last name, have kids wit
Can't be understated errytime we eva ran witchyu
Ya compare me in yo head to sum' nigga ya created
I'm a long way from perfect, I got shit wit me
Still I want ya to luv me unconditionally
9 years in, I don't deserve what ya givin' me
Like ya get a victory by actin' like a dick to me
Want me to see how it feels, I get the trickery
Lesson learned tho, ya my missin' piece
Give anotha chance to yo ex
Ya don't pick up the phone, ya don't answer my texts
Bitch
We ain't give it all that we got
Still ain't empty the clip, lets give it one mo' shot
Or
We can go ahead on our own
I need ya I can't do this alone
(But ya keep runnin' away)
In Joe Budden's song OLS4, he raps about his tumultuous relationship with his partner. He questions how long they are supposed to act this way and how he can express his feelings if his partner reacts so negatively. He mentions how his partner calls him over to talk but then attacks him, making it difficult for him to communicate. Joe points out how his partner is immature and that’s why he didn’t want to start a family with her. She frequently switches between loving and hating him, making it hard for him to keep up with her emotions. Meanwhile, he remains faithful to her, even when he's hanging out with his female friends. Joe expresses his frustration with not understanding why his partner suddenly left him and how he can never seem to do enough to make her happy. He shares his disappointment about how she is so cool with all her exes, yet still can’t seem to forgive him. Joe's partner tells him that he needs help and that he's sick in his head when she finds another woman's makeup on their bedsheet. He denies cheating on her but continues to feel like he's being accused of being unfaithful. Despite their problems, Joe wants to stay with her, marry her, and start a family together. He compares her to his past girlfriend, who has no bearing on their relationship. The song ends with Joe offering two different options for their relationship: either they can try once again or split up for good.
Line by Line Meaning
Tell me how long are we suppose to act like this?
How much longer do we have to pretend and put up a facade?
We won't neva get on track like this
We will never make progress in our relationship if we continue like this
How can I eva tell ya how I feel if ya react like this?
It's difficult for me to express my emotions when you respond negatively
Ya call me ova here to talk not get attacked like this
You invited me to have a conversation, not to be attacked
Its funny
It's ironic
Got yo track shoes on but what ya runnin' from
You're always running away, but what are you avoiding?
Shit I know where ya goin' & where ya comin' from
I understand your actions and motivations
That's immaturity showin', its just the baby in ya
Your immaturity is evident, it's just the childish part of you
One of the reasons why I neva put a baby in ya
This immaturity is one of the reasons I never wanted to have a child with you
Tired of hearin' how ya'll neva trust me again
I'm exhausted from constantly hearing that you don't trust me anymore
How ya luv me, then ya hate me, then ya luv me again
You go through cycles of loving me, hating me, and then loving me again
One minute I'm yo soul-mate then it's fuck me again
One moment I'm the love of your life, and then you're dismissive and disrespectful towards me
Until ya get horny enough & wanna fuck me again
Only when you're sexually aroused do you desire me again
But check it
Listen and pay attention
I just wanna treat ya good & do betta
All I want is to treat you well and improve our relationship
Ya think I'm runnin' around tryna be the hoods Hugh Heffner
You believe I'm out there trying to be a player like Hugh Hefner in the neighborhood
Sayin' I'm all about hoes, when I'm all about ya
You accuse me of being interested in other women, but I'm solely focused on you
Even when I'm wit my hoes, I tell them all about ya
Even when I'm with other women, I talk about you and mention you
Say that's just one reason I keep losin' ya
They claim this is one of the reasons why I keep losing you
I don't understand it, that shit is confusin' 2
I don't comprehend it, it's incredibly bewildering
Ya left me, I'm doin' me, ya doin' ya
You left me, I'm focusing on myself, and you're doing your own thing
So what the fuck is me doin' me have to do wit ya
What does me focusing on myself have to do with you?
How dare ya tell me its tougher fo' ya?
How dare you claim that it's harder for you?
Like I don't hear about them niggas ya fucking wit 2
I hear about the men you're involved with too
I had neva knew ya thought like that
I never knew you had those thoughts
Who knew ya was into sports like that
I never knew you were interested in sports like that
Mo' prayers cuz they all players
Additional prayers because all the men you're involved with are players
Ya out there havin' a ball, playa
You're out there enjoying yourself, player
Ball player afta ball playa
One ball player after another
I mean ya wit the ball players mo' than ball players
You spend more time with ball players than actual ball players do
Hope they ain't fuckin' ya & makin' ya they ball-player
I hope they aren't using you for sex and treating you as their possession
Come to me, I just get a hard time
When you come to me, you give me a hard time
Why they give one to ya, is this what ya wanna do?
Why do they treat you well? Is this what you desire?
Wit me ya get an attitude, ya get all stuck up
With me, you become defensive and arrogant
Start callin' me a fuck up until I tell ya shut the fuck up
You start labeling me as a screw-up until I tell you to be quiet
But the part I don't respect is
The aspect that I don't respect is
Ya so cool wit erry otha one of yo exes
You're friendly with all your exes
It's history between us, all ain't right either
We have a history together, and not everything is perfect
Back & forth domestic, call it fight feva
We constantly argue and have a cycle of domestic disputes
Be wantin' ya close to me
I want to be close to you
Supposedly, ya say ya ova me
You claim to be over me
That just come across as a joke to me
It seems like a joke to me
Cuz ya ain't got the luv that expires
Because what you have is not a love that will last
Worst case, ya'll get tired
In the worst scenario, you both become tired
Tell yo friends I'm a liar
You tell your friends that I'm a liar
Tried therapy when we felt it goin' sour
We attempted couples therapy when we sensed the relationship was deteriorating
That's four hunid dollas erry hour
It costs four hundred dollars for each hour
Fo' him to come & mediate, referee, be our interpreter
For the therapist to come and resolve conflicts, act as a referee, and help us interpret each other
Tell me I need to lower my voice, don't curse at her
The therapist advises me to speak more calmly and avoid cursing at you
Says she's only frustrated cuz I keep hurtin' her
The therapist claims your frustration stems from me continuously hurting you
Tell me despite all that, he can tell that I worship her
Despite everything, the therapist can tell that I love and adore you
Soon as ya let yo guard down, I get it up again
As soon as you become vulnerable, I become defensive again
Fixin' it is 2 much work, so I give up again
Repairing the relationship requires too much effort, so I give up once more
But I wanna spend the rest of my life wit ya
I want to spend the rest of my life with you
Make a wife wit ya, make it alright wit ya
Make you my wife and make everything right with you
But how are ya eva suppose to think that I'm right fo' ya
How can you believe that I'm the right person for you?
When all I eva do is treat ya like a recyclable
Because all I ever do is treat you like something disposable and replaceable
Disgraceful & ya want me to chase ya
I behave shamefully, and yet you expect me to pursue you
But its easier fo' me to replace ya
But it's easier for me to find a substitute for you
Cuz I see it like
Because this is how I perceive it
If ya can't deal wit what we go thru
If you can't handle the challenges we face
I got bitches lined up, I got an ego 2
I have other women interested in me, and my ego is boosted
And to them I'm errythin'
To those women, I am everything they desire
Funny, I'm great & I'm charmin'
Ironically, I'm seen as great and charming
But to ya I'm alarmin', all I do is bring harm in
But to you, I'm alarming and all I do is cause harm
To ya, I'm the cuz of all yo misery
You believe I am the cause of all your unhappiness
Of course I disagree, ya goin' off our history
I, of course, disagree because you're basing it on our past experiences
All that arguin' just ain't my style
All the arguing just isn't the way I prefer to handle things
Cuz that anger now got us like strangers now
Because that anger has made us feel like strangers
Ya tell me I should get help & I'm sick in the head
You suggest that I seek therapy because you think I have mental issues
Ya found make up on the sheets, I had a bitch in our bed
You discovered makeup on the sheets, thinking I had another woman in our bed
But wait, I ain't luv her tho, I ain't fuck her tho
But hold on, I didn't love her, I didn't sleep with her
I could dead that bitch right now man, fuck that ho
I could end that relationship with that woman right now, forget her
Ya just think I'll get anotha & anotha ho
You just believe I'll find another woman again and again
Way ya talk to me its like I got a whole club of hoes
The way you speak to me makes it seem like I have a whole club of women
But I could switch gears, make them all disappear
But I could change my focus and make all those women disappear
Ya goin' thru my phone like I got a bitch in there
You search through my phone as if I have another woman's contact in there
We discussin' chicks afta they thru
We talk about women after they're no longer in the picture
They don't matter to me, but fo' sum' reason they matter to ya
They don't hold any significance to me, but for some reason, they matter to you
We keep havin' the same threesome
We keep having the same arguments
But not kind of come as a blessin'
But it doesn't come as a positive thing
Ya keep bringin' up my last girl
You keep bringing up my ex-girlfriend
Like she ain't my past girl like ya ain't the reason she present
As if she has no significance to me anymore, as if you weren't the reason she's still in my life
Ya ain't got to worry about me & her
You don't have to worry about me and her
If I wanted to be wit her I would be wit her
If I wanted to be with her, I would choose to be with her
Yeah we hung together
Yes, we spent time together
Strip clubs had fun together
We enjoyed ourselves at strip clubs
But that's done, don't sweat her
But that's in the past, don't worry about her
Ya the only one I wanna do a bid wit
You're the only one I want to spend my life with
Live wit, share my last name, have kids wit
Live together, be married, and have children with
Can't be understated errytime we eva ran witchyu
Can't be emphasized enough how every time we faced problems
Ya compare me in yo head to sum' nigga ya created
You compare me in your mind to some idealized man you've created
I'm a long way from perfect, I got shit wit me
I'm far from being perfect, I have my own issues
Still I want ya to luv me unconditionally
Nevertheless, I want you to love me despite my imperfections
9 years in, I don't deserve what ya givin' me
After nine years together, I feel like I don't deserve the way you treat me
Like ya get a victory by actin' like a dick to me
You believe you're winning by being disrespectful towards me
Want me to see how it feels, I get the trickery
You want me to experience the same pain and deception
Lesson learned tho, ya my missin' piece
I've learned my lesson though, you're the missing piece in my life
Give anotha chance to yo ex
You give another chance to your ex
Ya don't pick up the phone, ya don't answer my texts
You don't answer my calls and you ignore my text messages
Bitch
Insulting term used to express frustration or anger
We ain't give it all that we got
We didn't give our relationship everything we had
Still ain't empty the clip, lets give it one mo' shot
We still haven't exhausted all our efforts, so let's give it one more try
Or
Alternatively
We can go ahead on our own
We can continue separately
I need ya I can't do this alone
I need you, I can't handle this by myself
(But ya keep runnin' away)
(But you keep avoiding the situation)
Contributed by Savannah S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@KM-pn1vk
like on some real shit a heartbroken budden makes some of the best music ive heard in my entire life
@alexreyes1498
This Track Is Fuckingggg DOPEEEE & REAL AS A BITCHHH
@YES-if7gz
Tru
@jonathank4200
Agreed
@LoPiccolo.
And there's at least 1 thing he spits that you relate to. Joe Budden is the best rapper IMO when he's making real shit.
@incrediblemindsent
Franky Lo facts
@stixxandstones
Joe Budden... The KING of "grown man" rap!!
@theripefruit4343
agreed
@pghwestside22
Church
@LIL31000
Naw t.i. is he just so damn slept on smh joe budden dope at smooth rap tho