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.
Sidetracked
Joe Budden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Look...
Sometimes I wanna make money,
But sometimes I ain't motivated
Sometimes I think it's overrated.
Sometimes I'm thinkin' I wasn't supposed ta' make it
Sometimes I wanna make music
Sometimes I think it's jus' useless
So y'all don't hear alot of new shit
Clueless, dependin' on what my mood is.
Sometimes I wanna dress-down
I mean I wanna let-up, but'chall be let down.
I'm so easily sidetracked
I jus' lost my train of thought, but besides that...
I wanna stop somebody an' keep it real
But know that they'll understand 'fore I tell 'em how I feel.
I wish I knew how it'd feel
I swear I needed somethin' from the store.
Got a call that I jus' ignored, my day's hectic
I'm overwhelmed wit' thoughts, leave a message.
This Saturday I... plan ta' go shoppin' for my kid
Wanna smoke, no cigs., I'm like where the fuck's the store?
Got a migraine, but I forgot that I was sick
'Cause these jeans don't seem to lay right over my kicks.
An' this'll be the last time that I buy this brand
That I try this brand, oh shit, the bitch called me.
She seems like the perfect girl ta' cheat wit'
Sleep wit', I bet that she can keep a secret.
I turnt' the radio on an' heard a beat, sick
Know I could kill that shit better than he did.
Sometimes I could be so analytical (why?!)
Wit' no audience, so who am I a critic to? (Nobody)
I'm so easily sidetracked
I jus' lost my train of thought, but besides that...
I spent years try'nna figure out why's that
Beat of my drum thrown off by a hi-hat (oh!)
I should hit the club, get a outfit
But fuck that, the lifestyle ain't about shit.
That no longer gets me up, it don't arouse shit (why?)
See, I'm on my OnDemand in the house shit.
I've lost so many relationships (tell me...)
Is it jus' because I don't relate ta' shit?
(Me I,) Me I... I hate ignorance so much
I'm prayin' for niggas that didn't grow much.
Maybe our whole generation was raised wrong
I'm only responsible for me, I gotta' stay strong.
I'm so easily sidetracked
I jus' lost my train of thought, but besides that...
I spent years try'nna figure out why's that (why?)
But besides that...
I'm so easily sidetracked
I spent years try'nna figure out why's that (why?)
I'm so easily sidetracked
Cig's still unlit, lookin' at a pic of a man cross-eyed
On my way ta' kill the nigga 'till the thought died (or...)
Or... or it's a lie, I'm jus' hogtied
Got frog-eyes 'cause chick wit' the phatty walked by.
Nice complexion, nice tan an' so behind her I ran
'Till I seen her destination was a man.
(So) In the street I stand, wit' my heat in hand
For what reason, I don't remember beefin'.
Note to self on my hand: Get even
But I don't remember needin' re-venge.
Now anybody comin' toward me, I'm reachin'
Leg bleedin', (so) fuck it -
I'll retrace my steps followin' the path of my blood leakin'
Lead me ta' Juan's house, which I visit every weekend.
To my knowledge, me an' him wasn't speakin'...
In Joe Budden's song Sidetracked, he expresses his fluctuating thoughts and moods regarding his career, music, relationships, and personal life. In the first verse, he acknowledges that he struggles with being motivated to make money and music, and sometimes thinks that making music is useless. He feels sidetracked and forgets what he wants to say or do. He also wishes to stop someone and express his feelings but remains uncertain if they'll understand him. Throughout the verses, Budden's raps indicate that he often gets sidetracked and confused in regards to his purpose and direction in life. The song's central theme lies in his battle with confusion and aimlessness.
Moreover, the second verse shows Budden's reflection on his lifestyle, which he feels is unfulfilling, and relationships, alluding to the possibility that his generation may have been brought up wrongly. He acknowledges that he is responsible for himself but still gets sidetracked because he hates ignorance and sometimes thinks revenge is necessary. Budden expresses his confusion and states that he spent years trying to figure out why he easily gets sidetracked.
In conclusion, Budden's lyrics in Sidetracked is an honest and raw expression of his internal battle with confusion, uncertainty, and aimlessness. It is a reflection of his struggles with career, personal life, and relationships, making it a relatable and powerful song for anyone facing similar challenges.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes I wanna make money,
There are times when I feel like generating income,
But sometimes I ain't motivated
However, there are times when I lack the drive to get things done
Sometimes I think it's overrated.
There are times when I believe that money is not as important as some make it out to be
Sometimes I'm thinkin' I wasn't supposed ta' make it
At times, I feel like my success was accidental
But what I show is basic, I normally pokerface it. (What else?)
Despite feeling uncertain at times, I tend to keep a calm demeanor and not let others see my doubt
Sometimes I wanna make music
Occasionally, I feel compelled to create new music
Sometimes I think it's jus' useless
At other times, however, I feel like making music is a waste of time
So y'all don't hear alot of new shit
As a result, I haven't released many new tracks
Clueless, dependin' on what my mood is.
I can be indecisive about making music or pursuing other ventures, depending on my mood
Sometimes I wanna dress-down
There are moments when I want to dress more casually
I mean I wanna let-up, but'chall be let down.
I feel like if I lower my guard, I'll be disappointed by the outcome
I'm so easily sidetracked
It's easy for me to lose focus on one thing and get distracted
I jus' lost my train of thought, but besides that...
My mind may wander, but there are other things on my mind as well
I wanna stop somebody an' keep it real
I wish I could talk to someone honestly and openly
But know that they'll understand 'fore I tell 'em how I feel.
However, I'm confident they will already know what I'm thinking
I wish I knew how it'd feel
I yearn for a deeper understanding of my own emotions
I swear I needed somethin' from the store.
I was convinced that I needed something from the store
Got a call that I jus' ignored, my day's hectic
Despite this, I ignored a call because I have so much going on today
I'm overwhelmed wit' thoughts, leave a message.
My mind is full of different ideas and feelings, so callers should leave a message
This Saturday I... plan ta' go shoppin' for my kid
I intend to go shopping for my child this Saturday
Wanna smoke, no cigs., I'm like where the fuck's the store?
Although I don't smoke cigarettes, I want to smoke something and need to find a store to buy whatever that is
Got a migraine, but I forgot that I was sick
Even though I have a headache, I forgot that I was feeling ill recently
'Cause these jeans don't seem to lay right over my kicks.
My new jeans don't fit well over my shoes
An' this'll be the last time that I buy this brand
Because of the poor fit, I've decided not to buy this brand of jeans again
That I try this brand, oh shit, the bitch called me.
Despite my vow not to buy from this brand again, I received a phone call from someone I'm interested in
She seems like the perfect girl ta' cheat wit'
I'm considering cheating with this new girl, who seems perfect for that role
Sleep wit', I bet that she can keep a secret.
I feel confident that this girl won't tell anyone about our affair
I turnt' the radio on an' heard a beat, sick
As I turned on the radio, I heard a dope beat
Know I could kill that shit better than he did.
I believe that I could write better lyrics to this beat than the original artist
Sometimes I could be so analytical (why?!)
At times, I tend to overthink and analyze things too much
Wit' no audience, so who am I a critic to? (Nobody)
I realize that without an audience, I'm just critiquing myself, and no one else can hold me accountable but me
I spent years try'nna figure out why's that
I've spent years pondering why I can be so easily sidetracked
Beat of my drum thrown off by a hi-hat (oh!)
Maybe the reason is due to my rhythm being disrupted by other components
I should hit the club, get a outfit
Perhaps I should go to the club and find something new to wear
But fuck that, the lifestyle ain't about shit.
On second thought, I don't care about the club or the lifestyle that comes with it
That no longer gets me up, it don't arouse shit (why?)
These things no longer excite me and I'm not interested in pursuing them
See, I'm on my OnDemand in the house shit.
Instead, I prefer to stay at home and watch TV shows or movies on demand
I've lost so many relationships (tell me...)
I've lost many close relationships with people in my life
Is it jus' because I don't relate ta' shit?
I wonder if that's just because I don't have much in common with others
(Me I,) Me I... I hate ignorance so much
Personally, I despise ignorance and lack of knowledge
I'm prayin' for niggas that didn't grow much.
I hope those who haven't experienced personal growth can turn their lives around
Maybe our whole generation was raised wrong
Perhaps the upbringing of our entire generation has been misguided
I'm only responsible for me, I gotta' stay strong.
Regardless of the reason, I need to focus on my personal growth and remain strong
Cig's still unlit, lookin' at a pic of a man cross-eyed
Despite wanting to smoke earlier, I haven't lit my cigarette yet, and instead am staring at a picture of a man cross-eyed
On my way ta' kill the nigga 'till the thought died (or...)
I was briefly considering killing someone, but then thought better of it
Or... or it's a lie, I'm jus' hogtied
Perhaps these dark thoughts are just my imagination, or could be due to other stress
Got frog-eyes 'cause chick wit' the phatty walked by.
I'm now staring at a woman with a large backside and have widened my eyes in appreciation
Nice complexion, nice tan an' so behind her I ran
I find this woman attractive and followed her for a brief moment
'Till I seen her destination was a man.
However, I noticed that she was heading towards a man, so I stopped following her
(So) In the street I stand, wit' my heat in hand
In this moment, I'm standing outside with a gun in hand
For what reason, I don't remember beefin'.
I can't recall why I felt like I needed a weapon or who I may have been angry with
Note to self on my hand: Get even
I've added a note to myself on my hand to seek revenge on someone
But I don't remember needin' re-venge.
Despite my note, I can't remember why I should want revenge in the first place
Now anybody comin' toward me, I'm reachin'
I'm on edge and ready to use my gun if anyone approaches me
Leg bleedin', (so) fuck it -
I have a wound on my leg that's bleeding, but I'm trying not to let that bother me
I'll retrace my steps followin' the path of my blood leakin'
Instead, I'm focused on following the path of my own blood to find my way back home
Lead me ta' Juan's house, which I visit every weekend.
I follow my own blood trail back to my friend Juan's home, which I visit regularly
To my knowledge, me an' him wasn't speakin'...
Despite this, I haven't spoken to Juan recently and am not sure where we stand
Contributed by Jackson A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Dhruv
Joe made some genius stuff. This sounds so pure, relatable, entire time he's getting side tracked.
bryan dungee
He literally went all over the place on purpose lmao, brilliant bro!!!
moodmuzik
Love this dude's timeless music. Great song.
Fetti Beats
this mixtape helped me thru some hard times
Wes Craven
me too fam
Vince Breeze
facts
Brendan Meyer
UNDERSTATEMENT
Cori Wilson
Facts
Kyle Bryce
this song is a masterpiece, the whole song he rapped sidetracked with random subject matter interrupting his bars with random thoughts!
Munjeza
This guy writes the kind of music that the average man can relate to