New Joe Budden – “Inception”, or, For the Last Time, Stop Fronting on Joe Budden

A while back, I wrote a rant-like opinion piece boldly titled “God Damn You, Joe Budden,” in which I lamented the underratedness of the New Jersey wordsmith, reflecting my annoyance that such a talented, interesting and introspective artist hasn’t been able to fully emerge from the grasp of the hip hop underground, optimistically hoping that through Slaughterhouse exposure and the release of his next projects, the rest of the hip hop loving world, or at least the faction that appreciates biting lyricism from a charismatic MC who obviously loves his craft, would perk their collective ears up once again, and give Jumpoff Joe Budden the second life he has long been worthy of.

Since then, and particularly recently, Joe Budden has consistently dropped hot tracks (“New York, Jersey, Philly,” “We Don’t Believe You” (with Joell Ortiz and Novel), “Black Cloud,” and “Sober Up” with Crooked I, the latter two adding fuel the hype fire leading up to the release of his Mood Muzik 4, hitting the internet October 26 and stores on November 6.

Since then, Joe Budden has entered new business realms, releasing a limited edition book, detailing his lyrics, entitled Enter The Mind of Joe Budden. He has kept the salacious fiends in us entertained with his on-to-the-next-one model girlfriend drama. He has squabbled publicly with his record label in a flash of online rebellion. What more could a rap audience want?!

In fact, the only criticism I tend to hear when discussing Joe Budden, is that he can be too introspective. Too “emo”, for lack of a better urban word.

But if that is the case, then how, after dropping material like his Dark Knight Music-produced, fiery take on the theme to the movie Inception, can anyone continue to deny this man’s ability, without being relegated to the realm of the oft-overused, but in some necessary cases, relevant world of “haters.” How can someone not look at the quality and depth of the material he is able to create, and not label him one of the premier performing lyricists of the day?

Regardless, here we continue to salute Joe Budden, who, along with other NY upstarts like aforementioned Slaughterhouse brother Joell Ortiz, keep my personal hip hop hope alive, feeding me the optimism I need to continue to push forward our BirthplaceMag.com mission, documenting the transition of the tri-state area as we emerge from our largely perceived funk, helping provide these artists the shine they deserve.

Related: Joell Ortiz at Southpaw, Brooklyn – Recap, Photos, Video

Buy tickets to see Joe Budden & Friends at BB Kings on 10/26 here

Download/Listen: Joe Budden – Inception
(link courtesy of YouHeardThatNew.com)

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