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.
Outcast
Joe Budden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stuck in the e′eryday struggle, only mines is hourly
Jungle full of wolves with a few lions that's cowardly
Used to make it hot, even that was too mild for me
School of hard knocks, tried to make the teacher proud of me
Sue me, script straight out of a movie
Too late, won′t get kicked and pushed like Lupe
From sane to loco, from hustler to hermit
You let niggas plot and believe me they goin' try
My nigga been shot nine times and won't die
And so death threats become death threats
When they want you on your death bed and you ain′t been put to rest yet
You in ICU
See the gunman in your head, damn can′t wait 'til I see dude
Hate hospitals, I don′t wanna go see dude
Know I love you to death, I feel it's no need to
In my mind there′s bloody hallways and project windows
Dice games, thick clouds of project indo
Niggas creepin' off with the project nympho
Or plain clothes searching for some project info
Projects I resemble, so I don′t stand out lookin' clean cut
Hangin 'round the project kinfolk
Cutthroats and liars, connects and suppliers
Fiends and they buyers, liquor store right by us
Kicks over the wire
If you Dave Blaine start choking in the water, send in the divers
Show dudes the real definition of survivor
In my mind I′m butt naked walking through the fire
Oxymoron, stubborn as a brick y′all
I'm a five star suite with the view of a brick wall
A high class scumbag, conceited nobody
Popular stranger, I see shit like nobody
A Tarantino, Martin Scorsese
Coming up, I was that nigga they called crazy
In my hood, they like fuck ′em all, gotta pay me
Then get shot in the ass for thinking it's all gravy
I′m on my third C.I. now
And my bitch running round like she a P.I. now
Going through his phone book and his Levi's now
It′s two choices, chillax or leave right now
That's how it be right now, ain't ya ordinary rapper dude
Menace To Society, a nigga with a attitude
A soul of mischief, I know all about that
Poor righteous teacher, nah, more like a outcast
And I′m out with that
That′s the word of the day, Jersey
Jump off, runnin' my shit right out
Don′t turn me off there
My jazz shit, bro
That's the word of the day man, huh
In "Outcast" by Joe Budden, the rapper discusses his life in the inner city, the struggles he faces, and the people around him. He describes himself as an outcast, someone who does not fit in with society but rather with the "projects" where he grew up. He talks about being stuck in the everyday struggle, and how this is a common reality for those living in the inner city. He describes the people around him as wolves and lions, but some of them are cowardly. The rapper explains how he used to make it hot, but even that was too mild for him. He wanted to make his teacher proud, but as he grew up, his focus shifted to surviving and getting out of the projects.
Joe Budden goes on to talk about the danger of the projects, mentioning how easily someone could be shot or threatened with death. He mentions having a friend who has been shot nine times and survived but remains in the hospital. He expresses his hatred for hospitals, and how he would rather show his love in other ways. Budden goes on to describe the "bloody hallways and project windows" that he witnessed firsthand growing up. He talks about the project nympho and the plainclothes searching for information. He further reveals that he resembled the projects and didn't want to stand out by looking too clean-cut around his kinfolk.
Finally, Budden describes himself as an outcast, a soul of mischief, and an ordinary rapper dude. He mentions various famous directors, including Tarantino and Martin Scorsese, and how he had a tough time growing up in his hood. He ends his lyric by repeating to the listener that he is an outcast and is out with that.
Line by Line Meaning
Stuck in the e′eryday struggle, only mines is hourly
I am struggling to make ends meet on an hourly basis
Jungle full of wolves with a few lions that's cowardly
I am surrounded by cowards and few brave men
Used to make it hot, even that was too mild for me
My past activities were even more extreme than what people think
School of hard knocks, tried to make the teacher proud of me
I faced many hardships and tried to earn the respect of others
Sue me, script straight out of a movie
My life is so extraordinary, it could be the plot of a movie
Too late, won′t get kicked and pushed like Lupe
I won't let anyone push me around, like the rapper Lupe Fiasco
From groupies to housewives, from scams to skirmish
My life has changed from being surrounded by groupies and scams to dealing with real-life struggles
From sane to loco, from hustler to hermit
I have gone from being a sane hustler to a reclusive person with some crazy tendencies
You let niggas plot and believe me they goin' try
If you let people know your weaknesses, they will try to harm you
My nigga been shot nine times and won't die
My friend survived many attempts on his life
And so death threats become death threats
When people want you dead, they will try anything to achieve it
When they want you on your death bed and you ain′t been put to rest yet
People want me dead, even though I am still alive
You in ICU
You could end up in the intensive care unit
See the gunman in your head, damn can′t wait 'til I see dude
I want to find the person who wants me dead
Hate hospitals, I don′t wanna go see dude
I hate hospitals and don't want to end up there
Know I love you to death, I feel it's no need to
I love someone very much, but they don't need to hurt me to prove it
In my mind there′s bloody hallways and project windows
My mind is filled with violent images of my surroundings
Dice games, thick clouds of project indo
I am surrounded by drugs and gambling
Niggas creepin' off with the project nympho
People are stealing from the prostitutes in my area
Or plain clothes searching for some project info
People are spying on us to use our information for their own gain
Projects I resemble, so I don′t stand out lookin' clean cut
I fit in with the people in my area, and don't try to look out of place
Hangin 'round the project kinfolk
I associate with the people who live near me
Cutthroats and liars, connects and suppliers
I am surrounded by dishonest people who are involved in illegal activities
Fiends and they buyers, liquor store right by us
There are drug addicts and their customers in my area, and a liquor store nearby
Kicks over the wire
I am homeless and have to jump over wires for electricity
If you Dave Blaine start choking in the water, send in the divers
If someone famous is in trouble, people will do anything to save them
Show dudes the real definition of survivor
I am a true survivor and will show others how to survive
In my mind I′m butt naked walking through the fire
I am mentally exposed and vulnerable while facing dangerous situations
Oxymoron, stubborn as a brick y′all
I am on the surface a contradiction, but extremely determined at heart
I'm a five star suite with the view of a brick wall
I am impressive on the surface, but emotionally blocked and unfulfilled
A high class scumbag, conceited nobody
I am wealthy, but lack morals and self-respect
Popular stranger, I see shit like nobody
I am famous in certain circles, but disconnected from mainstream society
A Tarantino, Martin Scorsese
I am a creative genius, like famous film directors Quentin Tarantino and Martin Scorsese
Coming up, I was that nigga they called crazy
People used to think I was crazy when I was younger
In my hood, they like fuck ′em all, gotta pay me
People in my neighborhood are selfish and only care about money
Then get shot in the ass for thinking it's all gravy
People will face consequences for taking advantage of others
I′m on my third C.I. now
I am on my third confidential informant now
And my bitch running round like she a P.I. now
My girlfriend is acting like a private investigator now
Going through his phone book and his Levi's now
She is going through his phone book and his clothing, trying to find information on him
It′s two choices, chillax or leave right now
You can either relax or leave immediately
That's how it be right now, ain't ya ordinary rapper dude
This is how things are now, I am not like other rappers
Menace To Society, a nigga with a attitude
I am a threat to society and have a bad attitude
A soul of mischief, I know all about that
I am a troublemaker and know how to cause chaos
Poor righteous teacher, nah, more like a outcast
I am not a righteous teacher, but rather an outcast
And I′m out with that
That's all I have to say
That′s the word of the day, Jersey
That's the latest news in my neighborhood in New Jersey
Jump off, runnin' my shit right out
I am leaving quickly and running my own business
Don′t turn me off there
Don't ignore me or cut me off
My jazz shit, bro
My music is unique and innovative
That's the word of the day man, huh
That's what everyone is talking about today, right?
Contributed by Eva M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@AntonioDrakeTV
man.. I miss this shit. a beautiful time in music when my mans Joe was dropping shit that resonated with the soul so heavy.
@focused313
15+ years late and I thought I knew pretty much every track. Thanks for this one.
@fahblizza
In my hood they like fuck em all gotta pay me, or get shot in the ass for thinking it's all gravy...hard.
Only a few will understand.
@bayzhit
this is one of my favorite songs, ever.
@bmrnvgga133
“Oxymoron stubborn asa brick y’all
Ima 5 ⭐️ suite with a view of a 🧱 wall”
@darkphoenix651st4
Timeless
@SooperVegaoldaccount
Budden Always goes in Classic
@chenjeraavalon43
"Ain't your ordinary rapper dude menace ii society or nigga with a attitude a soul of mischief I know all about that" omg 🔥🔥🔥
@KeepitThoro247
I Miss his music… good times when he would just randomly drop hidden classics
@josereyes-md2ww
"a soul of mischief, I know all about that"