A long time ago, Joe Budden used to make punchline raps and party anthems tailor made for radio and mixtapes. He still makes punchline raps and party anthems, but the majority of his music is personal, and very much emo. This was hardly a secret once the NJ representative released a whole series called Mood Muzik (spanning 4 and a half mixtapes at that). A Loose Quarter doesn’t have mood in the title, but there’s plenty of introspection and making the song cry a la Jay-Z. But with over a decade of experience under his belt, fans and critics alike want to know if he’s found the right balance.
After a choir-and-string-fueled intro, Budden whisks away the harmonics with the help of AraabMUZIK on “Words Of a Chameleon.” It’s a shameless song with Budden conjuring up visions of aborted babies, rape victims who never found justice, and gruesome events such as Tupac at the Quad Studio elevators (where the unfortunate shooting took place), all to elevate his bars. It’s also the reason why he’s a rapper’s rapper that may go unappreciated by the average fan and excite the best in the game, like his employer, Eminem. But aside from a lyrical sparring session with TDE’s Ab-Soul (which is great, by the way), the spitter steps aside for “letters to my diary” Joe.
Getting the mellow emcee is hardly a bad thing though. It’s a large part of why Joe stays relevant and his fans stay loyal. On A Loose Quarter, it’s as personal as it ever gets. He’s so comfortable with sharing so much of his life with fans, at this point, it’s like they’re not even there anymore. He’s talking to his parents (“Momma Said”), his ex (“Off 2 The Races”), his girl (“So Good”), his girl (“So Hard”), and his girl again (“More Of Me”). It’s not much more you could ask for as a fan, as he shares more than his fam are probably comfortable with.
But if you aren’t a fan of Joe and you aren’t familiar with his story, and you don’t follow him on Instagram and Twitter, it can get overwhelming. It’s uncomfortable critiquing an artist’s personal letters like “Momma Said.” However, when the hook sounds off-key even with Auto-Tune – and it unravels like the “he said she said” verses on R Kelly’s Trapped in the Closet – you’re forced to wonder if he could’ve stepped out of the booth and just made the phone call to his moms. Replay value will also suffer when the rhymes are so straightforward and kept at face value. But there’s that catch 22. You don’t want to be the hyper-lyrical metaphorical guy when speaking from the heart on real issues. That’s mostly for the youngsters who have never been through anything, and can’t see past having the illest bars. That being said, when there are moments like “All In My Head” where he and fellow Slaughterhouse member Royce Da 5’9 capture that struggle of addiction so succinctly and tracks like “More Of Me” that stretch to seven minutes and still leave you wanting to hear more, it’s no excuse.
Joe Budden plays his part on the Slaughterhouse album, but A Loose Quarter allows him to really flex his artistry. That’s a great thing or just a cool thing depending on how much of a fan you are. But the kind of honesty and open soul-searching shouldn’t be taken for granted, especially in a genre that doesn’t usually celebrate growth past the obligatory conscious record.
DX Consensus: “EP-worthy”
Jesus Piece”:
http://kat.ph/game-jesus-piece-deluxe-edition-t6876634.html
Much much better than slaughterhouse cd!
slaughterhouse album was some techo pop crap created by euro pop artist Eminem
what did u expect when your signed to a Major label.
my boy kendrick lamar is on a major label and he kept it real..
bomb mixtape, years beyond most of these rappers’ retail albums these days.
He cold…Str8 classic on Momma said
Amazing!
5
shit is beautiful dudes a genius
Very strong performance! The mixtape has more the character of an album! For me – same as him – mixtape of the year!
Dope!
I like a lot of tracks off this mixtape, prolly wont ever check out the whole thing but from what I have heard so far its pretty sick.
this tape is dope. Best this year.
buff said
Dope album
“Y’all call it crazy, I’m the heartbeat of every aborted baby, high off every line snorted in the 80’s”
Dope mixtape!
“Cut from a different cloth and I don’t know my thread count”
Mixtape of the year!
one word…..DOPE
Yo i gave it a 4. Kinda wanted to give it a 4 1/2 but i couldn’t. Its a very personal album and i like personal music, but i felt like it was to much of the same shit. This shit is fire no doubt but not that versatile. Buddens spit tho no doubt. For a mixtape this shit could have been an album. Good shit.
.
waaaaaaaaaaaack
This mixtape is DOPE. You can tell that Joey put ALOT of thought, emotion, and heart into this project. MIXTAPE OF THE YEAR
Give it a 4.75, so 5 on hhdx
Only weak song is “so good”
This mixtape is the best mixtape to end the year listen to it. Soul Tape 2 have more listens then this on datpiff.com but its not better and joe budden bodied “want you back” which he ft on the soul tape/
Joey!!
found it a bit repetitive though
lol@anyone giving that crack less than 4
Budden still get even better
its a bit repetitive
…then don’t listen to it.
Easy there Ken he is just giving his opinion. You don’t have to spend your life defending Joe Budden, he is a big boy and can take the criticism.
best mixtape since his last mixtape i couldnt ask for…joey just keep makin that TOP QUALITY MUZIK
24 years old been sober a year and half almost by January. I just finished listening to this entire mixtape (should be an album, it’d be classic). it was very emotional throughout, lyrically almost perfection, and the beats all matched with each song.
This album… let’s just say there is so much to be learned about the disease of alcoholism/addiction. this mixtape is really still making me get emotional. i need to give it some time and take a mental break.
I do know one thing though: 5 stars without a doubt. yeah i’m biased but fuck it, this was a powerful experience I just had i’m bein 100 over here
This mixtape was really good joe budden usually dosent dissapoint definately give it a listen.
The lyrics are notch as usual, but overall it’s a bit repetitive.
incredible mixtape, better than 90% of albums released this year. ‘off to the races’ is a great song.
5
cheah cheah
Best Mixtape I’ve heard all year! This dudes mixtape was better than a lot of albums I’ve heard this year! This could have been an album….5 stars easy!
Joey is so underrated.
Dis shit overrated
HORRIBLE
lol@haters trying to down the score smh
Ish overrated smdh
Regular
that words of chamelon verse..smh
MOTY.
Real lyrics no doubt,press rewind to get it right
Straight and honest,I hope araab will produce most of the tracks on his album!
Rewinded a couple of times,no gimmicking around this tape!
Joey delivers as usual
Boring at times
Ok.
this guy is boring
over rated. why can’t I give it a zero star?
Loved this mixtape
People must not know great music when they hear it .. it didn’t get much better than this in 2012
Momma said is the realest song ive heard in a while