Joe Budden facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joe Budden
Budden performing in 2012
Born	(1980-08-31) August 31, 1980 (age 44) Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
Occupation	Broadcaster (2015–present) rapper (1999–2018) songwriter (1999–2018)
Years active	1999–present
Television	The Joe Budden Podcast State of the Culture Everyday Struggle
Children	2
Musical career
Origin	Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	Mood Muzik Empire E1 Amalgam Digital Desert Storm Def Jam

Joseph Anthony Budden II (born August 31, 1980), known as Joe Budden, is an American broadcaster and former rapper. He became famous in 2003 with his song "Pump It Up". This song reached the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 music chart.

His first album, also called Joe Budden (2003), was very successful. It reached the top ten on the Billboard 200 chart. After this, he released seven more albums on his own. He was also part of a hip hop supergroup called Slaughterhouse. This group signed with Eminem's Shady Records in 2012 and released two albums.

In 2018, Joe Budden stopped making music to focus on broadcasting. He started hosting The Joe Budden Podcast in 2015, which became very popular. He also co-hosted Everyday Struggle for Complex magazine from 2017. From 2018 to 2020, he hosted State of the Culture with Remy Ma on the Revolt network. Joe Budden is known for sharing his strong opinions about famous hip hop artists.

Joe Budden's Early Life

Joe Budden was born on August 31, 1980, in East Harlem, New York City. When he was thirteen, he moved to Jersey City, New Jersey, with his mother and older brother. He went to Lincoln High School there. Joe Budden has talked about his father not being around when he was growing up.

He went to Laurinburg Institute, a boarding school in North Carolina. There, he started to improve his rapping skills. Joe Budden did not finish high school. He became a father at age 20. With a child on the way, he started taking music more seriously. In 2001, he began working with producer Dub-B. They released his first mixtapes and demo songs. One of these songs reached DJ Clue, a radio host and record label owner.

Joe Budden's Music Career

First Big Hits (2002–2003)

Joe Budden quickly became known for his mixtapes. He signed a big record deal with Def Jam Recordings in 2002. He first got attention with his song "Focus." This song stayed on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for seventeen weeks.

On May 8, 2003, Budden released "Pump It Up." This song was the first single from his upcoming album. The song, produced by Just Blaze, was a big success. It reached No. 16 on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It also peaked at No. 38 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song was used in popular movies like 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) and You Got Served (2004). It also appeared in video games like Madden NFL 2004 and Def Jam Vendetta. Joe Budden was even a playable character in Def Jam Fight for NY. The song was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Male Rap Solo Performance.

On June 10, 2003, Budden released his first album, Joe Budden. It debuted at No. 8 on the US Billboard 200 chart. It sold 95,000 copies in its first week. The album went on to sell over 420,000 copies in the United States. Its second single, "Fire (Yes, Yes Y'all)," featured Busta Rhymes. This song reached No. 18 on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart.

Independent Music and Mood Muzik (2003–2008)

While with Def Jam, Joe Budden released two mixtapes. These were Mood Muzik: The Worst of Joe Budden (2003) and Mood Muzik 2: Can It Get Any Worse? (2005). Both mixtapes were highly praised by critics. Complex magazine later called Mood Muzik 2 one of the best mixtapes ever. During this time, his planned second album, The Growth, was delayed many times. This was because Joe and Def Jam disagreed on the album's direction. Eventually, The Growth was not released, and Budden left Def Jam.

In December 2007, Budden signed a deal with Amalgam Digital, an independent company. His first release with them was Mood Muzik 3: The Album in February 2008. This was a retail version of his mixtape Mood Muzik 3: For Better or for Worse. Even though it did not sell many copies, critics loved the album. They praised Budden for talking about personal things in his music.

Joining Slaughterhouse (2008–2012)

Budden performing in 2010

On October 28, 2008, Budden released his third album, Halfway House. It was released only as a digital download. This album was the first in a series of connected albums. It marked Budden's return to the Billboard 200 chart after five years. The album included the song "Slaughterhouse." This was the first time Budden, Crooked I, Royce da 5'9", and Joell Ortiz worked together. People liked the song so much that the four artists decided to form a group. They named the group Slaughterhouse after the song.

After a delay, Budden's fourth album, Padded Room, came out on February 24, 2009. It debuted at No. 42 on the US Billboard 200 chart. Budden's fifth album, Escape Route, followed on August 11, 2009. Critics also liked this album. On the same day, Slaughterhouse released their first album, Slaughterhouse. In October 2010, Budden released Mood Muzik 4: A Turn 4 the Worst.

Slaughterhouse planned a second album for 2010. However, Royce da 5'9" said the group was talking with Eminem's Shady Records. They felt their second album should be released by a major record label. After some issues, Slaughterhouse officially signed with Shady Records in January 2011. In February 2011, Slaughterhouse released a short album called an extended play.

On August 28, 2012, Slaughterhouse released their second album, Welcome to: Our House. It debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart. It sold 52,000 copies in its first week. Before this, they released a mixtape called On The House in August 2012.

Later Albums and Podcasts (2013–2016)

On October 16, 2012, Budden released "She Don't Put It Down." This song featured Lil Wayne and Tank. It was the main single from his upcoming sixth album. The song reached No. 96 on the Billboard Hot 100. This was Budden's first time on that chart in almost ten years.

In January 2013, Budden joined the TV show Love & Hip Hop: New York for its third season. He also returned for the fourth season later that year.

On February 5, 2013, Budden released No Love Lost. It debuted at No. 15 on the Billboard 200 chart. It sold 30,000 copies in its first week. By March 2013, the album had sold 60,000 copies. Before this, he released a mixtape called A Loose Quarter in November 2012.

In February 2015, Budden started a weekly podcast with Rory Farrell and Marisa Mendez. It was first called I'll Name This Podcast Later. On October 16, 2015, Budden released his seventh album, All Love Lost. Critics praised this album highly.

Budden announced his last solo music tour dates in May 2016. In July 2016, Budden released a song called "Making A Murderer Part I." This song was mainly aimed at Canadian rapper Drake. He later said that the song was not personal. He explained it was done for fun and competition. After this, Marisa Mendez was replaced on Budden's podcast by Jamil "Mal" Clay. The show then became known as The Joe Budden Podcast.

On October 21, 2016, Budden released his eighth and final solo album, Rage & The Machine. The album debuted at No. 40 on the Billboard 200 chart. It sold over 11,000 copies in the United States.

Moving to Broadcasting (2017–Present)

On April 17, 2017, Budden started co-hosting Everyday Struggle. This was a daily morning show for Complex. He hosted it with DJ Akademiks and Nadeska Alexis. In December 2017, Budden left the show.

On May 14, 2018, Budden announced he was working with Sean Combs and his company Revolt. They created a talk show called State of the Culture. It started on September 10, 2018. Budden co-hosted it with rapper Remy Ma. In the summer of 2018, The Joe Budden Podcast started touring. They performed live shows across the United States. During this time, he officially announced that he was stopping his rapping career. In August 2018, Budden signed a deal to bring his podcast to Spotify. This expanded the show to two episodes a week. On August 27, 2020, Budden announced he was leaving Spotify. This was due to a disagreement about money.

In November 2018, Budden returned to Love & Hip Hop: New York for its ninth season. The next year, he came back for the show's tenth anniversary season.

On February 3, 2021, Budden announced he was no longer with Spotify. He said he would bring exclusive content from his podcast to Patreon. He also joined Patreon's board as an advisor. His goal was to help improve how creators earn money.

Joe Budden's Family Life

Joe Budden has two children. His oldest son, Joseph Budden III (often called Trey), was born in 2001. His second son, Lexington, was born on December 15, 2017. Lexington's mother is model Cyn Santana. Joe Budden and Cyn Santana got engaged in December 2018. He proposed during a live episode of The Joe Budden Podcast. However, the couple later ended their engagement. Since 2019, Joe Budden has been in a relationship with Shadee Monique.

His Opinions on Music

Joe Budden is known for sharing his strong opinions about artists in the music industry. He first did this in an interview with Lil Yachty on Everyday Struggle. He openly shared his thoughts on Lil Yachty's music style. In 2023, he had discussions with Drake and YoungBoy Never Broke Again. He expressed his dislike for some of their music.

Joe Budden's Albums

• Joe Budden (2003)
• Mood Muzik 3: The Album (2008)
• Halfway House (2008)
• Padded Room (2009)
• Escape Route (2009)
• No Love Lost (2013)
• All Love Lost (2015)
• Rage & The Machine (2016)

• Slaughterhouse (with Slaughterhouse) (2009)
• Welcome To: Our House (with Slaughterhouse) (2012)

TV Shows and Video Games

Film

Television

Video Games

See also

In Spanish: Joe Budden para niños