Joe Budden has become the underground poster boy for emotional rap. The battle worn rapper’s cinematic Mood Muzik series has always laid all cards on the table and his short stint on reality TV has only cemented his image. You can think of his latest release Some Love Lost as the soap opera counterpart to the Mood Muzik tetralogy.
“The Way You Love Me” builds off a sprawling piano peppered intro. Joe instantly brings that microphone confessional flow that only he delivers so effortlessly. It’s interesting how Drake is vilified for his sonic pillow talk, but something in Budden’s voice comes across less pleading, less apologetic. Budden dwells in the moment and gives a similar vibe on “Only Human”. The opening verse is a testimony to his mother that cuts deep, but the ho-hum hook and references to domestic cases feels a bit like self-pity rather than self-sympathy.
By the time “OLS4” comes around you start to wonder if this is a little too much information. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly which of his relationships he’s referencing on each track, but after over 20 minutes of it you don’t really care to.
By the time “OLS4” comes around you start to wonder if this is a little too much information. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly which of his relationships he’s referencing on each track, but after over 20 minutes of it you don’t really care to. Lines like “You left me, I’m doing me you doing you, so what the f*ck does me doing me have to do with you,” is the kind of circular dribble that you hear in arguments all the time. Unfortunately now you can rewind it and realize how silly it sounds.
Some Love Lost was therapeutic for Joe Budden. Using his art to heal is natural. Joe, being the talented rapper, has some solid moments throughout, but much of it is spoiled with his preoccupation with his demons. While authenticity is generally Joe’s strong point, he may have been a little too real on this one.
“Devil in My Room” is incredible, but mostly because of Crooked I’s absolute destruction of the tune. He goes off for about a minute and a half on a detailed characterization of the devil that is mind-boggling. Worth mentioning and not included on the EP, is the nostalgic “Nothing Changed” featuring Tsu-Surf and Ransom, which was leaked leading up to the release. Joe anchors the track smoothly, but he ends up throwing listeners off with more of the same relationship rap.
@MaajinnBluu
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