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.

She Wanna Know [feat. Lil
Joe Budden Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

[Joe Budden]
I'm bout to say some shit to you
I might need you to answer back (Top)
Bad enough that the mic give me feedback
I ain't gotta come home and see that
(Top) Let me talk to you for a minute

[Lil' Mo]

I want to know..
I, want to know.. know, know know
Know
I believe I know
You'll be my baby, baby

[Joe Budden (Lil' Mo)]
Let me talk to 'em
First off, all the questionin, I thought we was above that
We got some time and act like you wish to jerk that
C'mon don't tell me that we already endin
And fuck I need to cheat on you for, I'm already winnin
It's like (I want to know) if I got a exit them tensions
Callin her names, tryin to make her feel like less of a woman
But nah, picture I shady, WON'T lie and say I DON'T lie
Once or twice maybe, forever you my lady MY
You gorgeous but, it's more than just your hips that talk
It's good, but want more
It's how we laugh, you know shall we not
My better half slash your eyes the vibe we got, it's like
(I want to know) If I'm real in a deal
And then, she want to know if I feel how she feel
And real when I'm dealin, please believe boo
Won't deceive you - it's not just a want, I need you

[Chorus: Lil' Mo (Joe Budden)]
I want to know if you'll always be my baby
(You my girl, my wiz, my life)
I need to know he'll always be me baby
(You my heart, my all, my wife)
I want to know if you'll always be my baby
(You my girl, my wiz, my life)
(Bad enough that the mic give me feedback)
(I ain't gotta come home and see that)

[Joe Budden (Lil' Mo)]
It's like (I want to know) if I'm at some other broad's
Laughin in bed, she got it all mapped in her head
Ma, I'm all about, you and me
But you slowly losin me when you keep accusin me
I know why you be askin where I came from
Nothin wrong with arguin but we havin the same ones
Either you gon' ride out or you gon' spoil it
Either you gon' take a shit or get up off of the toilet
It's like (I want to know) if I be lyin to her
Or if I think these other birds finer than her, so
So when your man's on the road, he don't see you
I don't want the sex to be the only thing that keeps you
I give you my all, just holla at me if you want more
You tired of hearin 'bout me talkin 'bout a jump off
You my girl, my wiz, my life
Ma we can't go wrong ma, listen to the horns ma

[Chorus]

[Joe Budden (Lil' Mo)]
It's like (I want to know) if my career catches fire
Out of all the woman in the world, why her?
Hold up now you gettin mad at yourself
Just take a look in the mirror, be proud of yourself
How many times I gotta tell ya, boo you all that I got
How many times I gotta tell ya, be secure in your spot
I understand so I can't knock it, but I'm your man stop it
Checkin my two-way, and goin through my pants pockets
It's no need, you my girl, my wiz, my life
Look ma you my heart, my all, my wife; and you pissed
'Cause you know other chicks would LOVE to smash your man
I tell 'em I'm aight, I take pride in that I'm your man
(My friends keep tellin me you ain't shit)
I done been through this before baby, same shit
Long as we know what we got, we can carry on boo
We can't go wrong ma, listen to the horns ma

[Chorus]

[Lil' Mo]
My girl, your wiz, your life
Your heart, your soul, your wife

I will be everything to you, oh baby
I want to know, if you'll always be my baby...

Overall Meaning

The song "She Wanna Know" by Joe Budden featuring Lil' Mo is an interesting take on the insecurities that can arise in relationships. The song is essentially a conversation between Joe and his partner Lil' Mo, with him trying to assuage her fears and prove his loyalty. This conversation takes place over a simple, catchy beat, which allows the lyrics to take center stage.

Throughout the song, Joe addresses various concerns that Lil' Mo has, such as him cheating on her or being interested in other women. He reassures her that she is the only one for him and that he would never do anything to risk their relationship. Lil' Mo's response is to ask him to confirm his commitment to her, hence the chorus "I want to know if you'll always be my baby."

Overall, the song serves as a poignant reminder that even in strong relationships, insecurities and worries can arise. By addressing these concerns head-on, Joe and Lil' Mo are able to strengthen their bond and move forward together.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm bout to say some shit to you
I'm about to have a serious conversation with you

I might need you to answer back (Top)
I need you to respond and engage in this conversation

Bad enough that the mic give me feedback
It's already bad enough that the microphone gives me feedback, I don't want to come home to more issues

Let me talk to you for a minute
Let me have your attention for a moment to discuss something important

I want to know..
I have some questions that I need answers to

I, want to know.. know, know know
I want to know without any doubt or confusion

I believe I know
I think I know the answer, but I need confirmation

You'll be my baby, baby
I want you to always be my significant other and partner

First off, all the questionin, I thought we was above that
I thought we were past the need to constantly question each other

We got some time and act like you wish to jerk that
We have time to enjoy ourselves and not argue over petty things

And fuck I need to cheat on you for, I'm already winnin
I have no reason to cheat on you, I already have everything I need

It's like (I want to know) if I got a exit them tensions
I want to know if we can resolve our issues and move past any conflicts

Callin her names, tryin to make her feel like less of a woman
Insulting her and trying to diminish her worth as a woman is unacceptable behavior

But nah, picture I shady, WON'T lie and say I DON'T lie
I am not a shady person, although I won't pretend that I have never lied before

Once or twice maybe, forever you my lady MY
While I may have lied in the past, I am committed to you for the long-term

You gorgeous but, it's more than just your hips that talk
I am attracted to you physically, but I value much more than just your appearance

It's how we laugh, you know shall we not
Our shared experiences and sense of humor are what make our relationship special

My better half slash your eyes the vibe we got, it's like
We complement each other and our relationship has a special connection

If I'm real in a deal
I want to know if I am truly honest and genuine in our relationship

And then, she want to know if I feel how she feel
She wants to know if I share the same feelings and emotions as she does

And real when I'm dealin, please believe boo
I want her to trust that I am being real and honest when dealing with her

Won't deceive you - it's not just a want, I need you
I will never intentionally deceive her because I truly need and value her in my life

I want to know if you'll always be my baby
I want confirmation that she will always be my partner and significant other

I need to know he'll always be me baby
I need reassurance that I will always have him as my partner

It's like (I want to know) if I be lyin to her
I want to know if she believes that I am lying to her

Either you gon' ride out or you gon' spoil it
She needs to decide if she wants to stick with me through any issues or if she will end our relationship

Either you gon' take a shit or get up off of the toilet
She needs to make a decision and not sit on the fence

So when your man's on the road, he don't see you
I don't want our physical relationship to be the only thing that keeps us together

I give you my all, just holla at me if you want more
I am willing to give her everything I have, but she needs to communicate her needs to me

You tired of hearin 'bout me talkin 'bout a jump off
I understand that she is tired of hearing me talk about potential other partners

My girl, my wiz, my life
She is not just my partner, but my spouse and my entire life

Ma we can't go wrong ma, listen to the horns ma
We are meant to be together and should listen to our instincts

How many times I gotta tell ya, boo you all that I got
I want her to know that she is everything to me

Be secure in your spot
She needs to trust that she has a secure and important role in my life

Checkin my two-way, and goin through my pants pockets
She is invading my privacy and overstepping boundaries by checking my belongings

Look ma you my heart, my all, my wife; and you pissed
She is more than just my partner, but my spouse and the most important person in my life despite being angry

'Cause you know other chicks would LOVE to smash your man
She is aware that other women may be interested in me

I tell 'em I'm aight, I take pride in that I'm your man
I don't need other women because I take pride in being her partner

Long as we know what we got, we can carry on boo
As long as we are aware of what we have together, we can move forward

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BARRY WHITE, JOSEPH ANTHONY BUDDEN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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