Acclaimed among devoted listeners and critics doesn’t mean much in the major label landscape, unless you have the sales figures to back it up. Although it is sad to say it, the reality is that talent does not always win. This is the unfortunate situation New Jersey’s “next big hit” Joe Budden experienced after the resounding thud following the release of his 2003 self-titled debut on Def Jam Records.
Despite the crossover popularity of Pump it Up, which was further boosted by its inclusion on 2 Fast 2 Furious, the album did not produce any other notable singles, with Budden stuck in record label limbo until he parted ways with Def Jam. in 2006.
In his time away from a formal label structure, he was still heralded by many as the uncrowned king, as he worked to maintain his name value on the mixed tape circuit. Personally, I found that Budden had lost some of his fire and was surviving on hype alone, not that he could blame him after being on the sidelines. This view has changed upon hearing Padded Room, Budden’s second official studio album, which finds him delivering on the promise of his very personal 2003 debut.
Joe’s apparent personal tension and paranoia take center stage, including him sporting a straitjacket on the album cover. On an album that draws on imaginative lyricism and powerful orchestration from a host of unknown beatmakers, things start with a bang when Now I Lay kicks in. Over what sounds like an insane Christmas carol, Budden gives a sly wink to fans old and new, beginning with the same lines that open his hit Pump it Up: “Pump it up if you came to get it crunk/With a dame and Shit, that’s drunk/You came here to do it.”
Lead single The Future sounds too similar to other recent singles, Nas’ Hero comes to mind a bit and features The Game as a guest so nothing really makes it stand out but it’s well executed so you can’t hate too. The fatalism and personal demons eluded by the album title and theme first rear their heads on Blood on the Wall, where he interpolates Tupac’s Life Goes On chorus and takes shots from Mobb Deep’s Prodigy. Though he didn’t know beef existed before this track, Budden puts it over the top with some hard chin kicks, with lines like: “Four fifths and Snubs, what’s it all about? / Ni**a you can Don’t raise the guns you rap about.”
Budden takes things literally to another place in Pray for Me, complete with a haunting production of Versatile and Dilemma, as he imagines life after death and rebukes God for the hard times he’s been through and the atrocities in the world (the presidency of George Bush, hunger, AIDS, racism). Responsible for arguably the album’s most memorable production moments, thus bringing out the best in our host, the super-talented Blastah Beats hits a home run against the melancholy backdrop of Do Tell, an open letter from Budden to his family and friends.
The only disappointing moment in Padded Room is Exxxes, a memoir about the two women he’s had in his life. Reminiscent of Tupac’s Wonder Why They Call You Bitch (yes, more ‘Pac references), the overly misogynistic tone of the lyrics let him down and wasted the wonderfully soulful acoustic orchestration provided by The Klasix. All is well by the end of the album though, with the unadulterated Family Reunion remix featuring Fabulous, Ransom, Budden and newcomer Hitchcoc all spitting pure fire.
Although the Blueprint-esque introspection sounds a bit forced at times, it shows an interesting side of the New Jersey rapper. Ultimately, some of Padded Room leaves you feeling a bit cold/depressed, but it’s consistent and thoroughly enjoyable. A classy effort from the tiebreaker kid.
Available through Amalgam Digital Records
