Joe Budden "All Of Me" (Blend, 2010)

One of the greats at unconventional song structure and transparency on record, Joe Budden delivered "All Of Me" on his Mood Muzik 3 mixtape project in 2007. Fans recognize Joe's Mood Muzik series as some of the best content in his entire catalog and certainly put him on a short list of artists who really pushed the artist-mixtape culture forward. In 2010, Aerichk uploaded a project to DatPiff blending the vocals of Joe Budden's Mood Muzik 3 with some of his favorite beats from Kno of CunninLynguists. The idea for the project was well-intentioned, but some of the tracks worked better than others. One, in particular, is "All Of Me," which you can hear below. This is vintage Joe in his wordplay, storytelling and vulnerability on the record. The eery production of Kno works flawlessly, even with the song clocking in at around 7 minutes. "I think my life's bad, picking up the pieces / Some folk already got they appointment to see Jesus / In this world full of diseases I've learned not to bite my tongue or have seizures / Depression tells me I suck / So I reply, I ain't here 'cause I fell down, I'm here 'cause I got up...." If you wanna hear more, download "Death Muzik."

Joe Budden "Pride & Paranoia" (Mixtape, 2009)

Originally released in April 2009, Trackstar the DJ & The Smoking Section got together to release Pride & Paranoia: Best of Joe Budden. The mix runs through some of the best tracks in Joe Budden's catalog up until that point. "Walk With Me," "If I Die Tomorrow," "10 Minutes," "Dear Diary," and others are included, but I trust fans were complaining at the time that their favorites weren't included in the mix. Nevertheless, this was released at the height of the blogs, and might've gotten lost in the infinite shelf space of the internet. So, props to Trackstar for reposting it, dig in below...

Joe Budden "Whatever It Takes" (2005)

"I know you feel for me deep in your heart

Doctors, meetings, pills couldn't keep us apart 

But, now you got a deal and you wanna get rid of me 

We roommates, I'm in your head, Joe, you live with me..."

It's no secret that Joe has battled with depression - he's one of a few artists that has been open and vocal about that, and... well, just about everything over the years. The original version of this track is nothing compared to the soulful backdrop that Clinton Sparks adds on the remake, which was featured on Clinton's 2005 release, Maybe You Been Brainwashed. The Mood Muzik MC brings up a number of issues on the record including: depression, record label woes, problems with his baby mother, addiction, feeling wildly misunderstood, and lots more on the 7-minute cut. When the album was reviewed in 2005, Vibe said "And when Joe Budden emotionally cries out for understanding on "Whatever It Takes," Sparks is right there providing spirit-lifting soul sounds." An ironic fact about music is that when an artist reaches a point where the music becomes therapy, those lyrics/songs ultimately become inspiration/motivation for the listener. You may look at it as "emo" rap, but just ask Joe how many fans have told him that his music helped get them through a difficult time in their lives; it may have even saved their life. Oddly, some of Joe Budden's best work is not featured on his retail albums, it's snuck on mixtapes, loose verses, features, or it's the unlikely B-Side to a 12" that has Puff Daddy on the A-Side. However you chop it up, these are the types of songs that helped build Joe's fanbase, and even if his measure of success called for him to switch careers, fans can still cherish the music he's left behind and the perspectives he offers (along with Rory and Mal) on his podcast. Listen below and "Please leave the kid in peace." Happy Born Day, Joe!

Joe Budden "Ordinary Love Shit, Part 1-4"

"Let me start with 'I love you', and I think we got the power to grow...." Yeah, different song, but if you watch the podcast, you get the joke. In what's currently a 4 part series, "Ordinary Love" span'd multiple relationships, break-ups & shifts in the life of a man who is destined to see retirement as the gateway to all the things he once coveted as an artist. The relationship with Cyn Santana seems destined for marriage & a Love & Hip-Hop reboot, I'm sure they are in talks already. Music-wise, he may never sell a million and shit, but he definitely did keep it real with his fans and peers, so the cries for new music should lend a rewarding smile to his face, when surely that's the last thing on his mind. Life has its watershed moments - times when we must pivot, make some tough choices, and rebrand when it's necessary. Time reveals some people to be geniuses in that regard & it's only when you look back on how far they've come that you appreciate what it took to get there. Sure, he's still a lil' off in the head, but this is the first time in his career where I've seen him use his happyness, not misery, to fuel his career & for that, you gotta salute the man + hope he keeps pushing forward. Oh, and tune in to the Joe Budden Podcast (I'll Name This Podcast Later). I cosign that, weekly. Props to DJ Smu for piecing these 4 parts together, stream it below. (Updated, 2018)

Joe Budden "Rage & The Machine" (Album Stream)

Rage & The Machine, the latest album from Joe Budden, with production by AraabMuzick. A lot of the press for this album was overshadowed by the Drake beef, but when the smoke clears - as always - fans will have a lot to digest with this latest offering. Stand-out tracks include: "I Wanna Know," "I Gotta Ask," "Uncle Joe" and "Idols" - whereas, I did not love the featured tracks with Fabolous, Tory Lanez or Joell Ortiz, but I rarely gravitate to the singles. Budden, a front-man for "what to do" and "what NOT to do," and a trailblazer for letting fans behind the curtain, I sit with his projects for weeks to catch all the layers of introspection in his bars. In part, I can see that Joe just wanted to take it back to rhyming - hard beats, dope rhymes & some medicine sprinkled in for those that catch it. I wasn't mad at all when he dropped a Drake diss the same day as "Flex" - again, that track wasn't for me anyway, but the album cuts spoke to me. Peep the full album below...

The Combat Jack Show "Joe Budden Episode"

On the latest episode of the Combat Jack Show, the crew welcomes back the Jersey eMCee Joe Budden. Joe discusses his new album with AraabMuzick, Rage & the Machine, maturation in Hip-Hop (and life), the success of I'll Name This Podcast Later, his historic beefs over the course of his career, Slaughterhouse, and the crazy shit with the kids that ran up on his property. Sidenote: Drake following those kids after that whole ordeal ... that's not smart at all, but super petty lol. With Joe Budden, you never know what'll come up, you just know it'll be entertaining, so dig in below.

Redman & Joe Budden on Hot Ones (Videos)

Something different... Hot Ones' host Sean Evans asks his celebrities guests questions while they attempt to complete rounds of chicken wings coated in spicy hot sauce. Sound entertaining? It is! Taking it to Jersey one time two times, they have legendary MCs Redman and Joe Budden on the show. These are two of the most entertaining episodes of the show. I think the concept is genius and these episodes make me laugh, so as this is a journal of sorts, I wanna make mention of it here so I can remember to go back when I need a laugh, lol. Sound fair? Ok then... The Redman episode says, "Over more than two and a half decades in the game, the rap veteran and How High star has toured the world with Method Man, put out some of hip-hop's most memorable albums, and repped his Jersey roots to the fullest. Now, watch him risk it all while taking on some of the most brutal hot sauces on the planet." The Joe Budden episode says, "The Jersey City emcee may be stirring up headlines these days with his string of Drake disses, but let's be real: We've always wanted to get Joe into the hot seat. The hip-hop rabble-rouser proves that whether it's a hot-sauce duel or a rap battle, he never backs down." Looking for a good laugh? Watch both great episodes below...

Joe Budden Freestyles on Funk Flex (Video, Hot 97)

By now, it's pretty clear that I'm an album guy -- I don't post a lot of singles, loose tracks or videos. That said, there are moments that impact the culture that don't land on an album, ie: performances, freestyles, interviews, etc. I try to make mental notes and tie that into related content, but some shit ultimately stands on its own. Enter the Funk Flex freestyle series on Hot 97. Flex has been embracing the battle scene of late, and has always recognized the value of beef in hip-hop. Plus, to give the man his flowers, he has definitely championed classic hip-hop for decades. I don't imagine I'll appreciate all the artists he brings up to his show - after-all, it's 2016 and this is Hot 97, but I've been a career-long fan of Joe Budden and with all his detractors on standby, it's important to celebrate when it just comes down to the music, because that's where you can hardly discredit the man's skills. Lines like "No argument, follow in the blueprint that my hood wrote / So every footnote put my foot in that quote," or "Play superhero here, might lead to a dead pool," showcase his lyricism, and we can't forget that Drake sent shots in Joe's direction first, so the bars "Besides you jabbed first, but both knew my jab back harder / A tad fast like Zab at the sparring" are well placed in the session. With retirement looming in the background - even with the Rage And The Machine album on the way - it's dope to see Joe just get back to pure rhyming, check it out...

Joe Budden "Wake" (Prod. by araabMUZIK)

"Introspection means dig deep, let's look below the wealth

I wanna know myself

How you tell bitches know they self

When you don't even know yourself?

You wouldn't know yourself

Say he Canadian, maybe Asian, Croatian

Be sounding like his Jamaican friends, depend on what state he in

I think you rap good, but you a movie star

So that owl's appropriate, we don't know who you are

Where did the boy's brain change? Was it the club scene?

Now you sound like you use people and love things

But later for how you use people and love things..."

I look at this "battle" and say to myself, there's 0 incentive for Drake to jump in this beef; he leverages his celebrity too well. It speaks for itself. Tracks like this, however, further prove that Joe is a top tier lyricist and he's the sibling-like rapper that knows exactly what to say to hit where it hurts, lol. In the end, this will be a loose track in the catalog of a superior MC that continues to showcase the best of his abilities on tracks that never end up on an album. I can say that for "Whatever It Takes" and several others he's recorded as features and mixtape cuts over the years. I salute his pen, and wish we'd get more but we won't. And that's okay, I think Joe's gonna find more success in media than rap, and there's no defeating Drake in the long-run, the conversation will just shift (win or lose) and things will go back to regularly scheduled programming. Either way, enjoy below and go back and re-listen to "All Love Lost," definitely one of my favorite albums from 2015.

Joe Budden "All Love Lost" (Album Stream)

Fans have a love / hate relationship with Joe Budden ... I get it, I know. Building a cult-like fanbase over the years, Joe was one of the first to find dominance at utilizing social media and specifically platforms like BlogTV. Long before the podcast or shows on Complex or Revolt, Joe created a lane through vulnerability and letting his fans see behind the curtain. The narrative today might be that the fans didn't purchase the music once streaming hit or that the industry held him back or that he wasn't considered 'cool' enough amongst his peers... I don't know exactly, but what I do know, the fans and the industry-alike are missing out by not supporting this "All Love Lost" album. I think it's near-masterful from start to finish -- if you believe that music should be from the heart and create true emotion! Beyond that, his ear for production is at its best, and Parks' work behind the boards is top notch! Live instrumentation, layered vocals (from Joe and Emanny) made this truly one of my favorite projects of the year. Stream the full LP via Spotify below... and props to Rory and Mal on their collective Podcast with Joe; I'm tuned in for every episode. Back to the music, dig in...

Joe Budden "Some Love Lost" (EP Stream)

A confusing release with this one, Joe Budden drops off the latest project in his catalog, "Some Love Lost." Leading up to the album was a 'SomeLoveLostSeries,' featuring solid tracks that aren't featured on this project. It's an indie release, so it's not to fulfill a contract obligation, why not hold it and put the best foot forward ... Fans of Joe know, some of his best records have gone on other artists' projects, as loosies, or entirely unreleased. Maybe it's just to keep us fans guessing? lol. One thing for sure, the track "Only Human" could carry most artists' whole project, coming in at 8:46 long, Joe let the pen bleed on this one. I wouldn't be surprised to see it resurrected on a future release if this one misses the mark with sales. "OLS4" is another fantastic track, which deserved the visuals it received, definitely go check that HERE, and the rest of the EP is not bad either ... it still feels unfinished, like SOMEthing was left off ... but please don't let that keep you from listening!  

Joe Budden "Joe Budden" (Spin Review, 9/03)

"There is no evidence to suggest that Joe Budden can bend spoons with his mind. But in the hip-hop mixtape underground, the New Jersey-bred rapper's rubbery voice, acerbic sense of humor (reminiscent of Garden State neighbor Redman), and slurred yet engaging delivery have earned him a rep as "The One." And when Budden held his own in a playful war of words versus Jay-Z this past spring - serving Hova with hoop-dream zingers like "Stand out like Yao Mong / I'm what's sparkling now / Like, 'Fall back, Shaq, I'm startin' now'" - people started to believe. Like Philadelphia's Freeway or Atlanta's Killer Mike, Budden seem poised to give the rap game a much-needed transfusion of youth, energy, and soul." Check the Just Blaze produced hit, "Pump It Up," and more, cont'd below...

"Of course, it's easier to spit slang over no-contest instrumentals like "Grindin'" and "In Da Club" than to craft an album that lives up to the mix-tape hype. But Budden's self-titled debut doesn't disappoint. The beat on the hit single "Pump It Up" should win producer Just Blaze a Nobel Prize, but the song is ultimately less floor filler than it is a showcase for Budden's tumbling flow. On the rest of the record, Budden applies the same gift of gab to material that's surprisingly confessional and often downright dark. On "10 Mins," Budden (whose past includes PCD abuse and stints in institutions) looks back on his troubled youth for - yup - ten minutes. This tension between bragging and insecurity, between the night and the morning after, gives Joe Budden a singular spark. If the album falters, it's when Budden guns for crossover appeal: cameos by Lil' Mo and 112 reek of boardroom tampering. But even a bit of lab-tested R&B can't ruin this bold debut." - Spin.