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.
Poker In the Sky
Joe Budden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
More than trying to attain the unattainable
Trying to make it sustainable
Collecting all the parts, see if they interchangeable
Killing me slow, but I'm glad it's entertaining you
Everyday it amaze me
The same thinking that pay me the same thinking that plagues me
How can I think I'm crazy? Sway me
I'm painting the perfect picture
Only perfect cause the imperfections are highlighted
To gross currency off of that kinda sickness
Changes the meaning of mind my business
Giving what was given to me
So the soldiers come over unsober
And call me Yoda instead of Joseph
I be like "why they come to me for advice?"
They should really come to me for a vice
I got 'em all
Got a counter full of liquor, pocket full of pills
The illusion of control, I can tell you how it feels
Accounts full of paper and the women I play with
All got criminal bodies, innocent faces
Come around and we have a ball, could have it all
Well, I ran out of Adderall, but that's a matter of a call, check it
Odds is they start telling me they hardships
Regardless, they end up wanting hard dick, aww shit
You would think they been ordained
Got her legs in the air, she screaming the Lord's name
I'm feeding her more game, more game, more game
I started fucking her mind, that's when all them thoughts came
She keep saying if I want her I should fight for her
My plight for her says I don't know if I'm right for her
Even so know there's a fire I ignite for her
Staring at her ceiling, seeing me like I'm a nightcrawler
It's like she love me, but she don't
That's when she lose me, that's when she confuse me
It's what I get appalled with, can't call it
She think I should remove her hurt since I installed it
But I wish she knew I was returned 2 birds
Feel it hurt me more knowing I hurt you
Even though it exists I don't ever bring it up
We don't be doing nothing, but it's everything to us
Presently she bring up the past and it's filthy
You not talking to who I was or who I will be
But that's my own assignment
You want to take all the feelings and the time spent
And give it realignment
Check the catalog, lateral God
I self-sabotage, I'd explain further, but I'd rather not
Salute, on me, everybody have a shot
I do it for the niggas they said wouldn't have a shot
But some days are better than some days
Still yet here I stand on numb legs
Women don't give a fuck that I have these scars
I'm fucking the same hoes that the athletes are
What a rollercoaster, we argued and we sexed
Face in her box, James Harden in her texts
Nigga from the Clippers every morning text her "good morning"
She be sleep, he just be talking to me, my nigga
None of this is a pain to see
I only care about her if she pertains to me
Shit I'm tending to emergencies with urgency
That urge in me is my daily fight in her purging me
Fuck hoes, I ain't got time to be sprung now
Grandpa's cancer just made it to his lungs now
In 2012, docs gave him few months; wild
He's alive somehow, outlived 2 sons, wow
So no the observation
Says he'll die quicker with chemo and radiation
He ain't strong enough to even go through operation
Know that death's coming, he just in the house waiting
So you telling me there ain't a way to fix the shit?
Or is grandpa too old for you to give a shit?
Let's switch the shit, give you my predicament
Wonder how you would feel if I was telling yours live with it
And it's traveling to his heart soon
Of course it all hit me like a harpoon
I was in shock and then it was all clearer
When he called me and asked me to be his pallbearer
I was floored
But then the next second was back
To being self-centered, self-absorbed
And it became about me, fought it off long enough
I could help carry your weight, but I ain't strong enough
But why do I have to be?
This the shit I be naturally asking me, I'm such a catastrophe
See me breaking down with my father in back of me
So for me to attend, I'm trying to think of a strategy
But I'm happy for my dad
He was incarcerated, but his mama didn't make it
So for him to get that chance again with you
Means the world, he could be there til it end for you and me
I bleed out through this pen for you
Can't carry this around, gotta vent, it's due
Cause now, grandpa'll be closer to his wife
Have cards when I come, we playing poker in the sky
The lyrics of Joe Budden's song "Poker in the Sky" depict his struggles with mental and emotional instability, as well as his relationships with women, and his family's health issues. Throughout the song, he is constantly trying to explain the unexplainable, and attain the unattainable, while struggling with his own inner demons. He discusses his addiction to alcohol and pills, and how he uses them to numb himself to the pain, while also acknowledging the damage they do to him.
Budden also discusses his relationships with women, and how he views them as just another addiction, or vice, that he has control over. He speaks about his inability to connect with them on a deeper level, and how his own emotional baggage prevents him from truly understanding them. He also discusses his grandfather's battle with cancer, and how it has affected him and his family.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of sadness and despair, as Budden tries to come to terms with his own mortality, and the mortality of his loved ones. He recognizes that life is fleeting, and that he has limited time to make something of himself. At the same time, he is also struggling with his own demons, and trying to find a sense of purpose in a world that often feels meaningless.
Overall, "Poker in the Sky" is a hauntingly beautiful song that deals with some of the most challenging aspects of human existence. It is a reflection on the fragility of life, the struggle for happiness and meaning, and the power of addiction and mental illness. It is a song that speaks to the heart of what it means to be human, and it is a testament to the power of music to connect us all on a deeper level.
Line by Line Meaning
Just trying to explain the unexplainable
Attempting to make sense of things that are hard to understand
More than trying to attain the unattainable
Putting in effort to achieve goals that seem impossible
Trying to make it sustainable
Striving to create something that can last or endure
Collecting all the parts, see if they interchangeable
Gathering different components to see if they can be swapped or replaced
Killing me slow, but I'm glad it's entertaining you
Slowly hurting me, but I find solace in the fact that it entertains you
Everyday it amaze me
Every day it astounds and surprises me
The same thinking that pay me the same thinking that plagues me
The thoughts that bring me success are also the ones that torment me
How can I think I'm crazy? Sway me
How can I believe I'm insane? Convince me otherwise
Cause to profit off of shit that aches me is actually pretty wavy
Making money from my pain is unexpectedly cool
I'm painting the perfect picture
I am creating an ideal depiction
Only perfect cause the imperfections are highlighted
It appears flawless because the flaws are emphasized
To gross currency off of that kinda sickness
Earning money from such a twisted state of mind
Changes the meaning of mind my business
Alters the significance of staying out of others' affairs
Giving what was given to me
Passing on what I have received
So the soldiers come over unsober
To entertain the troops when they are not sober
And call me Yoda instead of Joseph
Referring to me as a wise sage like Yoda instead of my given name
I be like 'why they come to me for advice?'
I wonder why people seek my counsel
They should really come to me for a vice
They should actually seek my guidance on indulging in vices
I got 'em all
I possess all the vices
Got a counter full of liquor, pocket full of pills
I have a wide selection of alcohol and a stash of pills
The illusion of control, I can tell you how it feels
The false belief of having power and authority, let me explain the sensation
Accounts full of paper and the women I play with
My bank accounts are overflowing, and I engage with numerous women
All got criminal bodies, innocent faces
They have attractive bodies, but their innocent-looking faces hide their true nature
Come around and we have a ball, could have it all
When they visit me, we have a great time and could potentially have everything
Well, I ran out of Adderall, but that's a matter of a call, check it
I ran out of a specific drug, but I just need to make a phone call to replenish my supply
Odds is they start telling me their hardships
Most likely, they begin sharing their difficulties with me
Regardless, they end up wanting hard dick, aww shit
Despite their initial problems, they ultimately desire sexual satisfaction, oh well
You would think they been ordained
One might believe that they have been chosen or destined
Got her legs in the air, she screaming the Lord's name
She has her legs lifted, shouting the name of God in euphoria
I'm feeding her more game, more game, more game
I am providing her with more seductive strategies and techniques
I started fucking her mind, that's when all them thoughts came
I began pleasuring her mentally, leading to a flood of thoughts and emotions
She keep saying if I want her I should fight for her
She insists that if I truly desire her, I should put up a fight
My plight for her says I don't know if I'm right for her
My struggle for her implies that I am unsure if I am the right person for her
Even so know there's a fire I ignite for her
However, I recognize that there is a passion and intensity I bring into her life
Staring at her ceiling, seeing me like I'm a nightcrawler
Lying in bed, imagining me as a mysterious and nocturnal creature
It's like she loves me, but she don't
It seems like she has feelings for me, but in reality, she doesn't
That's when she lose me, that's when she confuse me
That's when she loses my interest, that's when she bewilders me
It's what I get appalled with, can't call it
This is what disappoints me, but I can't explain or label it
She think I should remove her hurt since I installed it
She believes I should take away her pain, even though I am the one who caused it
But I wish she knew I was returned 2 birds
I desire for her to understand that I, too, have been hurt in the past
Feel it hurt me more knowing I hurt you
It pains me even more to know that I have caused you pain
Even though it exists I don't ever bring it up
Despite its presence, I never mention it
We don't be doing nothing, but it's everything to us
We may not engage in much, but it holds great significance for both of us
Presently she bring up the past and it's filthy
Currently, she brings up past events, which are unpleasant and distasteful
You not talking to who I was or who I will be
You are not conversing with the person I used to be or the person I will become
But that's my own assignment
Nevertheless, it is my responsibility or task
You want to take all the feelings and the time spent
You desire to take away all the emotions and the moments we shared
And give it realignment
And rearrange or readjust it
Check the catalog, lateral God
Examine the extensive collection, a divine figure in a lateral sense
I self-sabotage, I'd explain further, but I'd rather not
I harm myself intentionally, I could provide further explanation, but I prefer not to
Salute, on me, everybody have a shot
Cheers, it's on me, everyone can have a drink
I do it for the niggas they said wouldn't have a shot
I do it for the individuals who were underestimated and deemed unlikely to succeed
But some days are better than some days
However, certain days are more favorable than others
Still yet here I stand on numb legs
Nevertheless, I'm still standing even though my legs feel numb
Women don't give a fuck that I have these scars
Women don't care about the emotional wounds I bear
I'm fucking the same hoes that the athletes are
I am engaging in sexual relations with the same women that athletes are
What a rollercoaster, we argued and we sexed
It's been an emotional rollercoaster, filled with arguments and sexual encounters
Face in her box, James Harden in her texts
Performing oral sex on her, while James Harden texts her
Nigga from the Clippers every morning text her 'good morning'
A person associated with the Clippers basketball team sends her a 'good morning' message every day
She be sleep, he just be talking to me, my nigga
She would be asleep, he's simply having conversations with me, my friend
None of this is a pain to see
None of this is difficult or troubling to witness
I only care about her if she pertains to me
My concern for her is solely based on her relevance or connection to me
Shit I'm tending to emergencies with urgency
Damn, I'm dealing with urgent emergencies
That urge in me is my daily fight in her purging me
That strong desire within me is my constant battle to resist her and cleanse myself
Fuck hoes, I ain't got time to be sprung now
Forget about promiscuous women, I don't have time to be infatuated now
Grandpa's cancer just made it to his lungs now
My grandfather's cancer has spread to his lungs recently
In 2012, docs gave him few months; wild
In 2012, doctors predicted he had only a few months to live; unbelievable
He's alive somehow, outlived 2 sons, wow
He's miraculously still alive, outliving two of his own sons, amazing
So no the observation
So yes, that's the situation
Says he'll die quicker with chemo and radiation
Medical experts claim that chemotherapy and radiation will expedite his death
He ain't strong enough to even go through operation
He lacks the strength to undergo an operation
Know that death's coming, he just in the house waiting
He's aware that death is approaching, so he's simply waiting at home
So you telling me there ain't a way to fix the shit?
Are you informing me that there's no solution to this problem?
Or is grandpa too old for you to give a shit?
Or is my grandfather too old for you to care?
Let's switch the shit, give you my predicament
Let's change the situation, let me share my own dilemma with you
Wonder how you would feel if I was telling yours live with it
I'm curious to know how you would react if I narrated your experiences and told you to accept them
And it's traveling to his heart soon
And the cancer is spreading to his heart soon
Of course it all hit me like a harpoon
Naturally, it affected me profoundly and painfully
I was in shock and then it was all clearer
I was initially shocked, but then everything became more evident
When he called me and asked me to be his pallbearer
When he phoned me and requested that I be one of his pallbearers
I was floored
I was stunned or astonished
But then the next second was back
But immediately afterwards, I reverted back
To being self-centered, self-absorbed
To focusing only on myself, consumed by my own thoughts and desires
And it became about me, fought it off long enough
And I made it about myself, even though I resisted that impulse for a while
I could help carry your weight, but I ain't strong enough
I could assist in bearing your burden, but I lack the strength
But why do I have to be?
But why does it have to be me?
This the shit I be naturally asking me, I'm such a catastrophe
This is the kind of stuff I always question myself about, I am a complete disaster
See me breaking down with my father in back of me
Witness me collapsing emotionally, with my father figuratively behind me
So for me to attend, I'm trying to think of a strategy
In order for me to be present, I am contemplating a plan or approach
But I'm happy for my dad
But I am genuinely glad for my father
He was incarcerated, but his mama didn't make it
He was in prison, but his mother didn't survive
So for him to get that chance again with you
So for him to have another opportunity with you
Means the world, he could be there til it end for you and me
It's of utmost importance to him, he could be there until the end for both of us
I bleed out through this pen for you
I express my deepest emotions through my writing for you
Can't carry this around, gotta vent, it's due
I cannot bear this burden anymore, I need to release it, it's overdue
Cause now, grandpa'll be closer to his wife
Because now, my grandfather will be reunited with his wife in the afterlife
Have cards when I come, we playing poker in the sky
When I join them after death, we will play cards together in the heavens
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Joe Budden
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind