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.
Role Reversal
Joe Budden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Glance up at the wall, pick out a few kicks
I need 11's in these, matter of fact while you at it bring em' in a size 6
I take shorty's shoes off, like here try on these J's make sure them shits fit
But in my head it gets thick, saying "Joey fall back, cause that's not your kid"
I don't know you lil nigga, and plus I got a son of my own
But he's at home and the ways hes being raised I don't really condone
Naw, cause his pops been gone, fuck it I'll explain it to him later when he's grown
Asking why mommy hate me and he got the sneak to call me whenever he's alone so
You wouldn't know it but I got a soft spot for you
See, we would shared the same obstacles
Looking from the outside may seem like you neglect him
But when he slips up and calls me dad, I correct him
I protect him, when baby girl start venting about you I say "Respect him!"
And though it seems out of order, my own mistakes have turned me into your biggest supporter
Fast forward, you wouldn't believe how I could love like mine what I didn't conceive
Trying to help him reach shit what I never achieved
Am I doing it for him or is it my own greed cause see,
Me and my baby moms, we don't do the conversations
Some cramped in the back, two bedroom shack
With seven people living there just congregating
So when your child with me, I'm over compensated
I'm talking eight bedrooms seven baths
My son thinking, that's the shit that only heaven has
Mines gotta keep it cool, your's get to see the view
White marble around the end ground, heated pool
Mines got to go through the "why"
Shit, yours just got to walk outside
And the funny shit, the irony of it all and it's just sad
Is You walked away and I'm the step dad
And then you get on Skype, saying "how you being, what's the word"
And I be on the background listening like "this mudafuckers he got some nerve"
He says "bye daddy, I love you"
I be wanting to snuff you but wouldn't want him thinking less of you
But, hes perceptive and this shits wild, he picks up on everything and hes just a child
So through all my resistance, I'm afraid this two year old can already see the difference
He see's you don't provide when you're capable
Why we never fix things while were still able too?
So you're annoyed, it kinda of hampers me
Get my boy, I always wanted a family
Just to greet when I get to the door
You gon have to take the L, I can't give you your's
I'll do all the work, you ain't gotta be bothered
You can be his dad, I'll be his father
I relate though, so I know it hurts
Got to be uncomfortable when the roles reversed
In "Role Reversal," Joe Budden raps about his role as a stepfather to a young child who has been abandoned by his biological father. At the mall, he comes across shoes that the child would love, and he can't help but to buy them for him. He recognizes that he has developed a soft spot for the kid, even though he is not his own. Budden explores his feelings of guilt towards the fact that he has taken on the fatherly role that the biological father should have. He explains that even though he and the mother of the child are not together, he has made sure that the child has a stable living environment and is well taken care of. Budden expresses his frustration with the biological father for neglecting his responsibilities and being absent in his own child's life.
Budden's lyrics in "Role Reversal" delve into the complexities of being a stepfather and the emotional struggles that come with it. He acknowledges the difficulties of trying to balance being a father figure and not overstepping boundaries in terms of the child's biological father. Throughout the song, Budden affirms that he will continue to protect and care for the child, even if it means taking on the fatherly role that the biological father should have.
Line by Line Meaning
I be at the mall, walk up in the store
I go to the mall and enter the store
Glance up at the wall, pick out a few kicks
Look at the wall display and select a few pairs of shoes
I need 11's in these, matter of fact while you at it bring em' in a size 6
I need some shoes in a size 11, also bring a size 6
I take shorty's shoes off, like here try on these J's make sure them shits fit
I remove the shoes of a child, give him Jordans to try out and ensure they fit
But in my head it gets thick, saying 'Joey fall back, cause that's not your kid'
I get confused and nervous thinking that I should not be doing this as the child is not mine
I don't know you lil nigga, and plus I got a son of my own
I don't know you, little boy, and I have a son of my own
But he's at home and the ways hes being raised I don't really condone
My son is at home and I am not happy with the way he's being raised
Naw, cause his pops been gone, fuck it I'll explain it to him later when he's grown
No, it's because his father is not around, but I'll explain it to him when he's older
Old enough to have a phone
Old enough to have his own phone
Asking why mommy hate me and he got the sneak to call me whenever he's alone so
He asks why his mommy hates him and practices calling me when he's alone
You wouldn't know it but I got a soft spot for you
You might not know this, but I have a soft spot for you
See, we would shared the same obstacles
You and I have faced similar challenges in life
Looking from the outside may seem like you neglect him
To an outsider, it might appear that you are neglecting him
But when he slips up and calls me dad, I correct him
But when he accidentally calls me dad, I correct him
I protect him, when baby girl start venting about you I say 'Respect him!'
I defend the child when the mother starts complaining about you and say that she should respect you
And though it seems out of order, my own mistakes have turned me into your biggest supporter
Although it might not make sense, my own mistakes have made me your biggest supporter
Fast forward, you wouldn't believe how I could love like mine what I didn't conceive
Looking ahead, you wouldn't believe how much I love this child who isn't mine
Trying to help him reach shit what I never achieved
I am trying to help him attain things I never did
Am I doing it for him or is it my own greed cause see,
I wonder if I'm doing this for him or just being selfish
Me and my baby moms, we don't do the conversations
I don't have conversations with my child's mother
Some cramped in the back, two bedroom shack
We live in a small, two bedroom house
With seven people living there just congregating
Seven people live there and it feels crowded all the time
So when your child with me, I'm over compensated
So when your child stays with me, I try to make up for everything
I'm talking eight bedrooms seven baths
I have a large house with eight bedrooms and seven bathrooms
My son thinking, that's the shit that only heaven has
My son thinks that we have the best house in the world
Mines gotta keep it cool, your's get to see the view
I try to stay calm while your child gets to enjoy the view
White marble around the end ground, heated pool
The backyard has white marble floors and a heated pool
Mines got to go through the 'why'
I have to explain why things are a certain way to my son
Shit, yours just got to walk outside
Your child just has to walk outside to see things
And the funny shit, the irony of it all and it's just sad
It's funny, ironic and sad at the same time
Is You walked away and I'm the step dad
You walked away and I became the step dad
And then you get on Skype, saying 'how you being, what's the word'
And then you call me on Skype, asking me how I'm doing, what's new
And I be on the background listening like 'this mudafuckers he got some nerve'
And I'm in the background listening, thinking that you have some nerve
He says 'bye daddy, I love you'
He says 'bye daddy, I love you'
I be wanting to snuff you but wouldn't want him thinking less of you
I feel angry and frustrated, but I don't want him to think less of you
But, hes perceptive and this shits wild, he picks up on everything and hes just a child
But he is clever and notices everything, even though he's just a child
So through all my resistance, I'm afraid this two year old can already see the difference
Despite my reluctance, I fear that this two year old can already see the difference
He see's you don't provide when you're capable
He sees that you don't provide for him even though you are capable of doing so
Why we never fix things while were still able too?
Why didn't we fix things while we still could?
So you're annoyed, it kinda of hampers me
You are annoyed and it bothers me
Get my boy, I always wanted a family
Bring me my child, I always wanted a family
Just to greet when I get to the door
Just to welcome me when I come home
You gon have to take the L, I can't give you your's
You'll have to suffer the loss, I can't make things better for you
I'll do all the work, you ain't gotta be bothered
I'll do everything, you don't have to worry about anything
You can be his dad, I'll be his father
You can be his biological father, I'll be his true father
I relate though, so I know it hurts
I understand how you feel because I have been in your shoes before
Got to be uncomfortable when the roles reversed
It must be uncomfortable for you when the roles have changed
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOSEPH ANTHONY BUDDEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Richsneaker
Came back after listening to today's pod. He killed this beat.
The Jewish Bettor
episode??
off the grid, but on YouTube
the guitar placement is hilarious in retrospect 😂😂
HereOrNot16
Absolutely. Without question
Terry
This track is a classic. One of the realest shit Joey ever wrote
otis driftwood
1k
Igetsitin89
factz
DeWayne West
his whole mixtape was like WOW. cant skip 1 song
Marcus Williams
Mood muzik 2 better but i feel you
John Doe In The Tahoe
It’s a shame to even call this a mixtape, more like a masterful album