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.
Something To Ride To
Joe Budden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Chyea
Check
I always said when I make it, there's no going back,
Where the toasters clap, and we can toast to that,
Them niggas hate seeing me, I'm like an open scab,
I'm OT in a Cabana with an open tab,
I'm strictly baritone, I play it low key,
While in New York, They say I'm crazy like Robin was,
In Jersey, I'm what Petrovic, Drazen was,
Politically incorrect, Fuck being proper,
Because all the faces lookin' real like the Fila Pradas,
And it seems like they the main niggas seein' dollars,
Let me get that off my chest, So I don't need a spotter,
Maybe now I see why Marvin just needed to Holla,
And if you know me, treat a hurdle like I'm ? Dolla,
Raisin' the bar, fuckin' with the stakes,
They'll get you that type of fame that your publicist will hate,
So we can get the goons involved and have the triggers squirtin',
But since I'm well endowed, I'll be the bigger person,
Throwin' darts at a Mozart, you won't go far,
Tryin' to help kill a legend, ask Solar
Nah, this ain't something to ride to,
It's more like shit you get inspired to,
See I can do anything I desire to,
As long as the earth's round and the sky's blue,
Nigga this ain't somethin' to ride to,
This is shit that you pop pills and get high to,
This a warrior's anthem for survival,
This is mood muzik, that's what I do,
Naw this ain't somethin' to ride to,
It's more like shit for you to survive to,
Roll a blunt do whatever you decide to,
celebrate my return, I'm sorry that I deprived you,
Left you with tales of quick riches, thick bitches,
Small timers talkin' that big business is fictitious,
No rhymers, slow grinders, the more blinders,
With skills so vagina, relyin' on co-signers,
Now they mad at me, I keep goin' hard reppin',
Cause what's a rampage to rashad evans,
That mouth still haul off, we'll shoot at the tires,
And you ridin' 'til the wheels fall off,
I spent my youth in prison,
I thought to get the 401K's a nigga had to do some pitchin'
But now I'm growin' up, they say I'm too different,
They tell me I've changed, I say that you didn't,
Nah, this ain't something to ride to,
It's more like shit you get inspired to,
See I can do anything I desire to,
As long as the earth's round and the sky's blue,
Nigga this ain't somethin' to ride to,
This is shit that you pop pills and get high to,
This a warrior's anthem for survival,
This is mood muzik, that's what I do,
honestly this past year's been a burden on me
unfinished product, god is still workin' on me
but shout to old girl, she's never to blame
the way she shallowed had me thinkin' that I never came
with me at the funeral, with me at the wake
black dress, black shades, strictly for my sake
a lone man's tutor, to him it's all a surprise
I can't explain death when he don't understand life
so grandma passed, about a week before mother's day
forget me, I was worried about my mother Faye
bad as it sounds, wouldn't have it any other way
she was so ill, death could have only been her escape
And gotta mask how that make me feel
since the streets is only asking about a Shady deal
if I knew now what tomorrow was gonna teach me
and I told you in advance, you probably wouldn't believe me
Nah, this ain't something to ride to,
It's more like shit you get inspired to,
See I can do anything I desire to,
As long as the earth's round and the sky's blue,
Nigga this ain't somethin' to ride to,
This is shit that you pop pills and get high to,
This a warrior's anthem for survival,
This is mood muzik, that's what I do,
In "Something To Ride To" by Joe Budden, the artist contemplates his own success and how it has affected his relationships with others. The song begins with Cardim Collection's beat as Budden declares that he can never go back now that he has tasted success. He mentions how he is constantly being watched closely, but he has learned to be low-key about it. Budden goes on to say that his drive to succeed is not politically correct, and he doesn't care about adhering to social norms. He emphasizes the fact that fame comes at a cost and sometimes goes against one's personal values.
Moving on to the chorus, Budden says that this song is not something to casually listen to, but instead is an anthem for survival. He talks about how one can do whatever he or she desires as long as they're alive and breathing. In the final verse, Budden talks about his personal struggles, including losing his grandmother and worrying about his mother's health. He accepts his burden and understands that his experiences are part of what makes him who he is.
Overall, the lyrics of "Something To Ride To" display Joe Budden's self-reflective nature and his ability to contemplate his actions and their consequences. He showcases his desire to succeed while acknowledging the sacrifices that come with fame.
Line by Line Meaning
I always said when I make it, there's no going back,
I made a promise to myself that once I succeed, there is no looking back
Where the toasters clap, and we can toast to that,
Where I come from, when guns are fired, it's a celebration of sorts
Them niggas hate seeing me, I'm like an open scab,
People despise me because my pain and struggles are visible like an unhealed wound
I'm OT in a Cabana with an open tab,
I'm currently out of town, living life luxuriously while ignoring my expenses
While in New York, They say I'm crazy like Robin was,
People view me as insane in New York, just like how Robin Williams’ character acted in the movie ‘The Fisher King’.
In Jersey, I'm what Petrovic, Drazen was,
In my home state of New Jersey, I am viewed as the same type of legend that Drazen Petrovic was.
Politically incorrect, Fuck being proper,
I don't necessarily care for political correctness as there are times when it's okay to be vulgar.
Because all the faces lookin' real like the Fila Pradas,
The people around me seem fake, like a pair of Fila Prada sneakers
Let me get that off my chest, So I don't need a spotter,
I just need to express myself and let it all out, without anyone monitoring or watching me.
Maybe now I see why Marvin just needed to Holla,
I finally understand why Marvin Gaye had to sing from his heart, why he had to make his music his outlet.
And if you know me, treat a hurdle like I'm ? Dolla,
If you know me, you'll know that I don't run away from challenges and view them as opportunities.
Raisin' the bar, fuckin' with the stakes,
I am constantly raising the standards and taking bigger risks.
They'll get you that type of fame that your publicist will hate,
If I keep going at this rate, I'll eventually become famous but my publicist won't like how I'm achieving success
So we can get the goons involved and have the triggers squirtin',
We could easily obtain the assistance of dangerous individuals who are willing to use firearms
But since I'm well endowed, I'll be the bigger person,
I'll rise above it all and not engage in petty situations because ultimately, I am blessed in many ways.
Throwin' darts at a Mozart, you won't go far,
Jealous people try to bring me down, but they won't succeed if they try to take aim at a person of my caliber.
Nah, this ain't something to ride to,
This isn't a song to listen to while driving in your car
It's more like shit you get inspired to,
It's a song that's meant to motivate and inspire you.
See I can do anything I desire to,
The sky's the limit, and I am confidently able to accomplish anything that I set my mind to.
This is shit that you pop pills and get high to,
This is a song that's perfect for getting high and just getting lost in it
This a warrior's anthem for survival,
This song is an anthem for those who are strong, who have fought battles and survived
This is mood muzik, that's what I do,
This is what I'm all about, creating music for people to feel emotions and connect with.
Left you with tales of quick riches, thick bitches,
I may have previously written songs about getting rich and hooking up with good-looking women.
Small timers talkin' that big business is fictitious,
People who are not in the music industry trying to talk about it are clueless
No rhymers, slow grinders, the more blinders,
People who are slow with their rhymes and have a lack of creativity are not going very far in the industry
With skills so vagina, relyin' on co-signers,
These people don't have any talent and rely on the support of famous people to gain success
Now they mad at me, I keep goin' hard reppin',
People are displeased with the way that I've continued working hard and not falling off
Cause what's a rampage to rashad evans,
People trying to come for me are nothing compared to fighting someone as strong as Rashad Evans
That mouth still haul off, we'll shoot at the tires,
People keep talking trash but will never physically fight, so all they're going to do is try to shoot
And you ridin' 'til the wheels fall off,
You're going to stay with something until it's completely over, no matter the cost
I spent my youth in prison,
I made terrible decisions in my younger years and ended up spending time in jail
I thought to get the 401K's a nigga had to do some pitchin'
I mistakenly believed that the only way to gain financial security was by doing things that were illegal or morally wrong.
But now I'm growin' up, they say I'm too different,
Now that I'm maturing, people are telling me that I've changed too much
They tell me I've changed, I say that you didn't,
People say that I've changed too much, when in reality, they haven't changed at all
honestly this past year's been a burden on me
Truthfully, this year has been heavy and difficult for me.
unfinished product, god is still workin' on me
I am far from being a finished product, but I believe that God is still working on me.
but shout to old girl, she's never to blame
I would like to say thank you to my ex-girlfriend. She was never at fault for any of my problems in life.
the way she shallowed had me thinkin' that I never came
The way she swallowed made me think that I couldn't perform well enough to please her.
with me at the funeral, with me at the wake
My ex-girlfriend was there for me during the entire mourning process of my loved one, attending both the funeral and the wake.
a lone man's tutor, to him it's all a surprise
I am a mentor to a man who has no one else to turn to, and I am still surprised by how he views life
I can't explain death when he don't understand life
It's hard for me to describe and make sense of death when this man doesn't understand the concept of life itself.
so grandma passed, about a week before mother's day
Unfortunately, my grandmother passed away a week before Mother's Day.
forget me, I was worried about my mother Faye
I was not thinking so much of myself and how to handle my grandmother's death, but rather more concerned about my mother Faye.
bad as it sounds, wouldn't have it any other way
Although it may not sound great, I am happy that my grandmother was able to be with the rest of her family who had also passed away.
she was so ill, death could have only been her escape
My grandmother was so sick that death was the only thing that could have relieved her from her condition
And gotta mask how that make me feel
I must put on a mask and hide my real emotions.
since the streets is only asking about a Shady deal
The public is only interested in hearing about a business deal with Shady Records.
if I knew now what tomorrow was gonna teach me
If I knew what tomorrow would bring, I would have approached things differently.
and I told you in advance, you probably wouldn't believe me
If I had warned you ahead of time, you probably wouldn't have believed me anyway.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: JONAS Q CARDIM, JOSEPH BUDDEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind