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.
The Future
Joe Budden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everything got a future (everything got a future ...)
How you go club or go hood, but go back club on the same song?
(club on the same song)
[Chorus - Dominic]
Guess I am a bad guy, I can see you like it
You can be the headline, if I can be your sidekick
Baby this can be the future ('ture, 'ture)
[Joe Budden - talking behind the Chorus]
Hey!
Hey!
Amalgam Digital baby!
Goin, goin, gone (let's go)
[The Game - talking behind the Chorus]
Jump Off
Free World
[Verse 1 - Joe Budden]
Baby girl is addicted (it's okay!), OD
You can have any dude in this world but chose me (oh ...)
You can have any chick in this world but chose her
To play the backseat and direct the chauffeur (uh)
And that ain't just Jazz, ain't down with Okur (I could)
I play publicist and give her exposure
(I mean a) keep you in the latest
(I mean a) damn near waistless
Body like a porn star (whoa, whoa), smile like a waitress (oh!)
Now she turnin me, uh, uh, on, uh, uh, on, uh, uh, on
I mean, why get Club Bed or Club Med? See (when)
We can just club in the bed of my mansion (cheah)
Leave for the weekend, jet to the Hamptons (hey)
Tats on her torso, (I mean), I love how she handle it (oh)
A shoe game, show off, just frontin (what?)
But baby don't blink or you bound to miss somethin, come on
[Chorus]
[Joe Budden - talking behind the Chorus]
Hey!
Hey!
[The Game - talking behind the Chorus]
Jump Off, I got it from here
Double Up! Yeah
[Verse 2 - The Game]
She want to roll with a rock star, fuck I'm him
Coupe, white air, seven five, eight cent
California slim
501 blue, jeans on trim, New York match the brim
Lower than Manhattan (uh), lower than my pants saggin (uh)
Lower than my baby momma leanin in that Benz wagon (yeah)
And you can be heard, Toy Bird slip ons
LV clip ons, haters get shit on!
We roll up, 24's, so what?
Haters all swoll up
Haters want my chain (ka ka), hold up
I'm not that nigga, I'm that nigga, so Jump Off or jump off (uhh)
Once enemies, my nemesis and I
Was stuck in the Genesis, Free World is our reply
Let bygones be bygones, I'm gone
Let all your pain be champagne and Patron
[Chorus]
[Joe Budden - talking behind the Chorus]
Hey!
Baby this could be the
Hey!
Ta ha
Baby this could be the
Come a, come a, come on
Come a, come a, come a, come a, come on (talk to 'em)
[Verse 3 - Joe Budden]
Look she stay back, my baby grownin old
Little bit of cologne, little bit of Patron
Is how I got her home
(I mean a) now you say we spent mad hours on the phone,
like we both ain't grown (yeah)
Wrist kind of heavy, I'm a little well known
Matching crosses, different color stones
(what?)
See, in one line I got her to come over
Tell her I'm dumb sober, but hung over
She play the club, sippin on Mimosa (hey)
I can fit your whole crew in one Rover
Just kick your shoes off 'fore you step in
(I mean) the cribs mine and I'm livin like the Jetson
Well let's head OT, cop a one way
Step off the runway like we on the runway
Have your girlfriends thinkin you a runaway
Never mind, I already know what you gon' say (uh)
[Chorus - 2X]
[Joe Budden - talking behind the Chorus]
Cheah
Hey
Cheah
Ta ha
Baby this could be the
Come a, come a, come on, come a
Talk to 'em
Yeah (hey)
I mean, I'm thinkin this can be the
I'm thinkin, I'm thinkin this can be the
The song "The Future" by Joe Budden features The Game and Dominic. The song opens with The Game giving an insight that everything has a future, irrespective of the present. He questions how one can go clubbing or wandering around the neighborhood and come back to the same song in the club. Dominic presents the chorus, where he mentions himself as a bad guy who can be the sidekick to someone's headline. He thinks that their association could be the future, which is reiterated in the following verses.
Joe Budden is addicted to a girl who has his complete attention in the first verse. He uses analogies to describe her that suggest why she chose him over others. Regardless of Jazz and Okur's differences, he offers her the limelight and public exposure. He refers to her body as that of a pornstar, and her smile is like that of a waitress. He suggests they don't have to go to a club or resort; they can have the club right in their bed. They can plan weekend getaways to places like the Hamptons. The Game starts the second verse by declaring that he is the rock star that everyone wants to be with. He has a white coupe, slim jeans, and an LV clip-on. He hints at haters wanting to steal his chain but stresses that he is the one and not just anyone. The Game suggests that some negativity took place initially between the two of them, but that's water under the bridge now. He suggests that they forget the past and celebrate with champagne and Patron.
In the third verse, Joe Budden gives more details about his girl. He suggests that she's growing old and wears a little bit of cologne and drinks Patron. They spend hours on the phone and have matching crosses with different colored stones. Joe Budden explains that he can lure her into his company by pretending to be hungover but sober. They could sit and sip Mimosa in a club, and he could fit her crew in his car. He owns the biggest mansion and decorates it like that of Jetson's. He encourages her to kick off her shoes before they step into his crib, and they can become the talk of the town as a runaway couple.
Line by Line Meaning
Everything got a future (everything got a future ...)
The future is inevitable and inherent in everything.
How you go club or go hood, but go back club on the same song?
How can someone switch between two seemingly opposite lifestyles and still have the same mentality?
Guess I am a bad guy, I can see you like it
Acknowledging the attraction to someone who may not be good for you.
You can be the headline, if I can be your sidekick
Offering to support and empower the other person, even if it means taking the backseat.
Baby this can be the future ('ture, 'ture, 'ture)
Suggesting a potential romantic and prosperous future together.
Baby girl is addicted (it's okay!), OD
Acknowledging the girl's intense attraction to the singer, even if it's obsessive.
You can have any dude in this world but chose me (oh ...)
Expressing gratitude for someone choosing the singer out of all her options.
To play the backseat and direct the chauffeur (uh)
Describing the girl's ability to control the situation while still being submissive.
Now she turnin me, uh, uh, on, uh, uh, on, uh, uh, on
Showing the girl's influence over the artist and how he's turned on by it.
But baby don't blink or you bound to miss somethin
Urging the girl to pay attention to the artist's moves and not miss out on anything.
She want to roll with a rock star, fuck I'm him
Asserting dominance and confidence while attracting someone who wants to be with a rock star.
Let all your pain be champagne and Patron
Encouraging the girl to forget her previous pain and indulge in luxury with the artist.
Is how I got her home
Implying that the singer bribed the girl with cologne and drinks to come home with him.
Matching crosses, different color stones (what?)
Describing the jewelry worn by the girl and speaker, a symbol of their connection.
See, in one line I got her to come over
Showing the singer's smooth talking skills in getting the girl's attention and drawing her in.
Well let's head OT, cop a one way
Proposing the idea of leaving town and never returning.
Have your girlfriends thinkin you a runaway
Suggesting that the girl will leave with the artist secretly or without telling her friends.
I'm thinkin this can be the
Expressing hope and belief in a future with the girl.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Hades
he is one of the greatest, and deepest rappers of all time. NO doubt.
Samuel lavaud
I know he's grown since this but this is his best work !!!!
superdave
Absolutely.
Chimaobi Amutah
Brought it back for today's pod. Real ones know. #ItsThatOnTopMuzik
James yaboiii
This has always been my favorite budden track, deep and truthful about lifes struggles
Oscar Orias
This song so typifies what my life feels like. Its like he painted a perfect picture of emotions. Keep it up Joey!
Julian Howard
One of my favorite Joey tracks...I wish he could do more joints like this. That Bill Withers "dont you want to stay" sample goes so hard.
De Vante Frazier
Honestly this shit saved my life
Patrick Dorsey
Facts
MYCUTIEMARKISAGUN
FACTS