"They say the room is padded for my own safety.. But the cushion don't soften shit.. They lock the door but still they let my thoughts in it.. I can't even see the sky from here, I guess my time is near.."
Joe Budden... Infamous in the underground (internet) for his lyrics and deep thought songs, and his Mood Music series. Although underground listeners appriciate his efforts, it doesn't cloud the fact he's had some rough rough times since his 1st album dropped on Def Jam years ago. Bad moves on both sides held "Mouse" back. He was hungry, and everyone else was hungry to hear Joey go to the next level with his next CD. A few wasted opportunities kept a classic-capable-artist from making a classic CD. So now with a new label, years of GROWTH (lmao), did he waste any opportunity, or did he capitalize on his absence and give his fans what they've been wanting.
Joe busts on the CD, reintroducing himself to the world, with a hot beat, and hammering in the idea of "only God can judge me." He dwindles in his past alil' bit, and speaks on how he's grown since back then and now. Not the beastly intro we've known Joe to make, but it certainly gets the job done.
Now one thing that plagued Joey's CDs (album, and mixtapes), he's felt the need to do an uptempo song for the club. But listening to Joe after "Pump It Up", realistic fans know that club music is sorta out-of-his-lane. But here, in a new friendship song with The Game, Joey actually pulls off a pretty decent song. And it doesn't seemed forced into the CD, since it's only the 2nd track in, and it doesn't lack charisma like in other club songs he's put out. But, prepare yourself, because that is the low point of Padded Room.
"Waiting on an antidote but I lack the patience, but on a 2nd thought I got my own vaccination"
Joe Budden starts to take the listener into the theme of him being in a padded room with "If I Gotta Go." Where he begins to question how people other than himself works, and shows us how he looks at things through his eyes. And he invites people to look at things his way. "I wish everybody would comprehend like I do, I know it don't sound like I want 'em in.. But I'd like to." And the sample, a deep eerie deep voiced hook, with the help of a guitar in the back ground, the listener should know that they truly are in Joe's Padded Room.
The album also shows how Joe paints himself as a black sheep in society. Songs like "Happy Holidays," displays this perfectly. Where re-enforces the fact that he looks at a holiday as just another day. And how his family annoys him. "Don't need a phone call or a present, matter fact, I don't need any of yall present." Damn even Christmas Joe? Speaking of "Christ"mas, (now this will only be deep to people that are Christians, I apologize to any other religions reading). In "Pray For Me", the listener gets to hear Joe get into an argument with God himself. And in the song, he's like most people, questioning God's methods, and in his argument with God, the listener finds the black marks on Joe's life. Which makes it much more authentic, and makes it seem as if its an actual quarral. Another quarral he discusses is that one with Prodigy of Mobb Deep, where he absolutely flexes that lyrical muscle and puts Prodigy's "Blood On A Wall." Lol.
Another avenue in the album is this song, where Joe speaks on the dark-side of Joe, who he loves and hates. On the songs "Exxxes" Joey embodies a girl as his bad personality whom is always calling his name. A lust for a her who knows all about Joe but they've never spoke, but he can't help himself into always getting into sexual encounters with him. It seems that this girl is the perfect sex slave, since he claims "her period is never on" and when she's giving demands he follows. Which maybe his deep morbid desires. "Is she just a symbol, there for me to look at everything I resemble... Since I'm in this room alone she becomes convientient. I hope we lie together, cry together-- die together." He disscusses more women in his song "I Couldn't Help It" with the help of a beat that reminds me a of a tragic love song. 1st he speaks about his baby's mother and the many ways he did her wrong and he never wanted just wanted the abortion. And if you remember the 1st CD you'll recall Joey having an affair with some famous rapper's wife. (Someone who he claims sold millions of records, and no it ain't Jay-Z). He really only scratched the surface on his 1st CD, but here, he gets in detail with her and.... Her friend, in a hotel room. "All I could think bout was him and her on TV with their kids while I had her on the TV on her ribs." Crazy right, yeah I know! Now you get the idea of the Padded Room. A Perfect album for the non-mainsteam cat, or Joe Budden fan to add to their collection.
"I Ain't As Crazy As I Seem To Be, It's Just That Nothing Is The Way That It Seems To Me."
Album Ratin:
Worth Buyin' - Absolutely. Feb 24th.
Fav Tracks' - 14 Tracks of nice lovely morbid shit.
