Joe Budden: Halfway House

Granted I may be a little biased but Halfway House is just what all of us Joe Budden fans have been waiting for. Since the beginning I have been a huge Budden fan, let me rephrase that, I am a huge fan of the introspective and deep Joe Budden. A lot of his “mainstream” music goes right over my head and doesn’t even peak my interest. Luckily, Halfway House is just what I expected and then some.

This record starts off “On My Grind” which proves that Joey hasn’t lost his touch at all. His lyrics are clever and show why Joe should still be considered one of the best in the game. “Check Me Out” is the next stand out track and lets us know why we should still be checking for Joe. “Some tell me that my music is depressing/ But the best rapper in the world I was destined/ Jump off must be the exception, am I the only one who progressing in the recession“. Crafty wordplay and passion is what really separated Joe from most rappers. You really can feel what Jump Off is saying and you know he is sincere with his words. “Sidetracked” may be one of my favorite songs from Joe to date. Reminds me of the Budden I have grown to love. Plus the song is something I can directly relate to, sometimes I feel like Joe is writing for me. “Sometimes I can be so analytical, with no audience/ so who am I a critic to?” If this doesn’t describe a whole lot of us, then what can? “Slaughterhouse” is up next featuring Joell Ortiz, Crooked I, Royce Da 5’9 and Nino Bless; do I really need to describe this joint? You can only imagine how much of a monster this one is. “Under The Sun” and “The Soul” follow and each of these joints are very good and the production really helps connect Joe‘s words and the whole vibe. “Just to Be Different” may be the strongest song on the whole record and if this is any sign of what Padded Room may be, we are in for a huge record. “I gotta warm reception way before any song hit/I think too outside of the box to be cornered/To real to be fickle, grounded, but to fly to meet a nigga in the middle/ too big to be belittled/ Wise way beyond my years, here’s the motto of a man-child/Why try to fit in when you a standout?”

Joe Budden is one of the rapper’s people either hate or love. I rarely ever hear anyone say he is just OK. He catches a lot of grief because his singles are often subpar and a lot of people don’t care to delve deeper into any of his other music. However, the fans and people who do take the time to explore what Joe has to offer are pleasantly surprised. Since the beginning Joe has been one of the few emcee’s that genuinely allow us to enter into his life and mind. He also allows himself to be open and allows us to really connect with his music, seeing that a lot of his problems are our problems! Halfway House is the perfect set up for Padded Room. February can’t come soon enough!

Overall score: 4/5

Standout Tracks:

“Check Me Out”

“Sidetracked”

“Slaughterhouse”

“Just To Be Different”