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.

Overkill
Joe Budden Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

(feat. Heartbreak)

[Verse 1: Heartbreak]

Be advised, this kid is on his grind
If greatness is what'chu seek, I'm the nigga you will find (me!)
I'm lyrically inclined, rap's like catchin' a fish wit' no hook;
You can't get 'em on the line.

Givin' a little time, Jersey City will prevail
The writtens I'm spittin' sound like I'm fishin' for a whale.
(Uh-huh) Of course I'm sicka', my flow off the Richter
I'm forcin' niggas ta' get up in the Scale.
I gotta' excel, so I sell Ecs.
You're like Nextel, who you gonn' tell next (who)?
Can't grind off packs 'cause y'all watchin' 'em
I ain't seen a dime off rap 'cause y'all droppin' 'em.
I go hard on tracks, think of the buck from it
An as far as rats, I hope the fucks from it (fall).
I like ta' mix karate wit' gunplay
So all you dumbfucks get nunchucked an' gunbutted.
The opposite of what'chall embrace
The game wants lames that'll march in place.
I'm one of the last from the Garden State
That spit like he in a jungle goin' hard wit' apes, nigga.

[Verse 2: Joe Budden]

L-Look, Look...

Comin' up, used ta' grab the pound for a dollar
Overseas now, prefer the pound over the dollar.
Fuckin' wit' that water, you get drownt' somethin' proper
He act like an inmate, but sound like a scholar.
I mean... hoppin' out chain danglin', poker grill
Sober still, except for an occasional dose of pills.
Show the steal, all of it 'till it's overkill
For Oprah bills I'll turn this bitch inta' Cloverfield! (Nigga!)
I understand why niggas ain't try'nna bond wit' me (why?)
Fresh as a fuck, ay'day is like the prom fa' me.
Rappers ain't fond of me, fuck them! My ma' should be
The game's fixed anyway (an') you could ask Tim Donaghy.
I'm on some all kinda' weed, sleep where the Piraña's be
An' honestly (fa'real), I'm ay'thing dudes is try'nna be.
I get money an' haul off (now...)
While they at rock bottom, the poor guys can't even fall off.
(Joey!) I'm all Spartan, avoid ya four sparkin'
'Cause ay'thing is funny 'till a nigga's George Carlin!
Not greedy, I jus' want a fortune of the fortune
If all rappers do is record, why would I call 'em?
Look, I ain't heard of that (naw!)
An' these hater's Killin' Me Softly, but I don't mind takin' on Roberta's Flack.

I'm known ta' 1-8-7 murda' tracks
Go an' tell whoever wanna' know The King of Jers. is back.

Overall Meaning

The song "Overkill" by Joe Budden feat. Heartbreak is a rap song that talks about the grind towards success and fame. Heartbreak, in the first verse, talks about how he is lyrically inclined and describes rap as catching a fish without a hook. He mentions that he is selling Ecs and is forcing people to get up in the scale. Heartbreak is also seen embracing gunplay and karate and talks about his experiences in rap, saying that he is one of the last from the Garden State, who is still going hard.

In the second verse, Joe Budden speaks on his journey to fame and how he prefers pounds over dollars. He also mentions how he is fresh all the time and how rappers are not fond of him. He claims that he is on some kind of weed and that he is everything that people are trying to be. Budden also mentions his desire for fortune and mentions how all rappers do is record. He also compares himself to King George Carlin and talks about how he murders tracks.

Line by Line Meaning

Be advised, this kid is on his grind
I want you to know that I'm working hard and doing everything I can to succeed

If greatness is what'chu seek, I'm the nigga you will find (me!)
I'm confident that I'm a great rapper and that if you're looking for greatness, you'll find it in me

I'm lyrically inclined, rap's like catchin' a fish wit' no hook;
I'm good at writing lyrics, but it can be tough to get people to pay attention to them

You can't get 'em on the line.
It's tough to get people to listen to my rap

Givin' a little time, Jersey City will prevail
If I just keep working at it, Jersey City will become a major force in the rap world

The writtens I'm spittin' sound like I'm fishin' for a whale.
My lyrics are impressive and could be thought of as trying to catch the biggest fish in the sea

(Uh-huh) Of course I'm sicka', my flow off the Richter
I am very good and talented, and my rap style is intense and powerful

I'm forcin' niggas ta' get up in the Scale.
I'm so good that other rappers will have to step up their game if they want to compete with me

I gotta' excel, so I sell Ecs.
I have to be the best in order to succeed, so I work hard and sell drugs on the side to make ends meet

You're like Nextel, who you gonn' tell next (who)?
You're not important and nobody cares about you or your music

Can't grind off packs 'cause y'all watchin' 'em
I can't sell drugs anymore because the cops are watching me and my associates

I ain't seen a dime off rap 'cause y'all droppin' 'em.
I haven't made any money from rapping because everyone else is doing it and it's hard to stand out

I go hard on tracks, think of the buck from it
I put a lot of effort into my music, hoping it will pay off financially

An as far as rats, I hope the fucks from it (fall).
I hope people who have betrayed me or sold me out will ultimately suffer as a result of their actions

I like ta' mix karate wit' gunplay
I enjoy the combination of martial arts and firearms in my music and personal life

So all you dumbfucks get nunchucked an' gunbutted.
I'm not afraid to physically harm people who cross me or disrespect me

The opposite of what'chall embrace
I go against the norm and don't follow what other rappers or people in general are doing

The game wants lames that'll march in place.
The music industry rewards conformity and mediocrity rather than originality and talent

I'm one of the last from the Garden State
I'm one of the few talented rappers from New Jersey who hasn't given up on their dreams

That spit like he in a jungle goin' hard wit' apes, nigga.
I'm a tough and aggressive rapper who can hold my own against anyone

Comin' up, used ta' grab the pound for a dollar
When I was starting out, I used to buy drugs to sell at a markup in order to make money

Overseas now, prefer the pound over the dollar.
Now that I'm more successful, I prefer the British pound to the American dollar

Fuckin' wit' that water, you get drownt' somethin' proper
If you get involved with drugs, you can easily end up in over your head and suffer the consequences

He act like an inmate, but sound like a scholar.
He behaves like a criminal, but speaks like an intellectual

I mean... hoppin' out chain danglin', poker grill
I like to wear flashy jewelry and show off my wealth

Sober still, except for an occasional dose of pills.
Despite my drug dealing past, I try to stay sober and only take medication when necessary

Show the steal, all of it 'till it's overkill
I'm not satisfied with just having some success, I want to be so successful that it's overwhelming

For Oprah bills I'll turn this bitch inta' Cloverfield! (Nigga!)
I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make a lot of money, including creating a massive monster like in the movie Cloverfield

I understand why niggas ain't try'nna bond wit' me (why?)
I'm aware that other rappers might not want to collaborate with me or be friends because of my reputation or style

Fresh as a fuck, ay'day is like the prom fa' me.
I always look and feel great, like I'm attending the prom every day

Rappers ain't fond of me, fuck them! My ma' should be
I don't care if other rappers don't like me, my mother is proud of me and that's what matters

The game's fixed anyway (an') you could ask Tim Donaghy.
The music industry is rigged and corrupt just like professional sports can be influenced by referees or officials

I'm on some all kinda' weed, sleep where the Piraña's be
I smoke a lot of different strains of marijuana and am willing to take risks like sleeping near dangerous fish

An' honestly (fa'real), I'm ay'thing dudes is try'nna be.
I'm talented, successful, and confident, which is what other rappers aspire to be

I get money an' haul off (now...)
I make a lot of money and enjoy spending it on whatever I want

While they at rock bottom, the poor guys can't even fall off.
Other rappers who are unsuccessful or unknown can't lose anything since they don't have anything to begin with

(Joey!) I'm all Spartan, avoid ya four sparkin'
I'm very brave and unafraid of danger, and can dodge bullets easily

'Cause ay'thing is funny 'till a nigga's George Carlin!
People think things are hilarious until they realize how serious or dangerous they can be, like the comedian George Carlin's jokes

Not greedy, I jus' want a fortune of the fortune
I don't want too much wealth, just enough to be very comfortable and secure

If all rappers do is record, why would I call 'em?
I don't respect rappers who only record music, since it takes more than that to truly succeed in the music industry

Look, I ain't heard of that (naw!)
I don't believe what other rappers are saying or doing, since I know what works for me

An' these hater's Killin' Me Softly, but I don't mind takin' on Roberta's Flack.
Other people's negativity or dislike of me doesn't bother me, and I'm willing to challenge them and fight back

I'm known ta' 1-8-7 murda' tracks
I'm notorious for recording violent and aggressive music, which includes references to homicide

Go an' tell whoever wanna' know The King of Jers. is back.
Let everyone know that I'm still the best rapper from New Jersey and am continuing to make great music

Contributed by Dominic A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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