Joe Budden, or Buddens as some folks call him, is a deep rapper. He’s not into conscious rap, and doesn’t think hip hop will elevate the masses or free your mind, but he’s also not a gangsta. He straddles the line between the two, also touching on the border on the Eminem-style self-revelatory autobiography. His second album is supposed to drop this year. (It was also supposed to drop last year. And the year before that. And the year before that.) But his first album, while good, wasn’t great. He’s a mixtape master and not yet a major-release headliner.
His new mixtape, “The Album Before the Album,” collects some of his greatest mixtape cuts ever: Pop Off, Three Sides to a Story (my personal favorite–it tells the story of domestic violence from the perspective of three different family members–brilliant), and many others. If you like hip hop at all, you need to listen to this. Trust me.
Joe_Budden-The Album Before The Album
1. I’m Back
2. What Would Happen (w/Stack Bundles)-Joe Budden
3. The Future
4. Cold World Ft. Musiq Soulchild
5. I Keep That
6. Outcast
7. The Pump
8. Stained
9. Only You
10. Pop Off
11. Suntin’ Ft. Coke
12. This Is For
13. Is This My Life
14. Three Sides A Story
15. Bullshit Rappers & Metaphors
16. Bonus Track
