Properly named “Padded Room,” Joe Budden’s new album proves that he has lost his mind. This entire album had me baffled as I painfully listened to thirteen tracks of horrible production and lackluster lyrics. This is definitely not the same Budden who stepped onto the scene with his 2003 summer hit “Pump It Up.” The swagger that he originally possessed has dissapated and it’s becoming no coincidence as to the real reason why this album has been pushed back not once, but two times since its original release date. What’s even more surprising is the overwhelming response that “Padded Room” has received. In its first week, it sold over 13,000 copies independently and has debuted at #5 on the Top Charts for Rap Albums. Just goes to prove that some people will listen to anything. Is this really what the state of Hip-Hop has become?
 
The majority of this album’s production was done by The Klasix and Blastah Beats. Other producers include Fyu-chur, Qwan Dub B, MoSS, and Versatile& Dilemma. “Padded Room” also includes records featuring artists such as The Game, Drew Hundson and The Junkyard Gang. Don’t get me wrong, there were a few noteable tracks such as “I Couldn’t Help It,” which has a beautiful melody and begins with a male singer softly adlibbing over the track. This song speaks on the regrets in Budden’s life, including him wanting his son aborted. This song is one of those pure tracks where the words aren’t diluted by hard beats and pounding drums. As you listen you can close your eyes and simply relate to what he is saying. It’s most definitely one of the realist tracks on the whole album.

Another good track is “Exxxes” produced by The Klasix. This is simply a story of a misguided female that Budden was intimate with. Not only does this song reveal some harsh realities, but the nice smooth flow keeps you listening to the end. With the guitar hitting every riff perfectly and the snaps adding extra rythm, I had no choice but to press repeat. There are one or two others that I could listen too, such as “Blood On The Wall,” and “Do Tell,” but other than that, “Padded Room” was highly disappointing. One thing that is easily noticable on this album is that Budden has obviously had some sort of spiritual intervention and/or awakening. On a few tracks he mentions God, prayer, and angels. On one track called “Pray For Me,” he even goes as far as to have a real conversation with God. The song had good meaning, was very inspirational, but the production was not so good. One of the last good songs on “Padded Room,” was “Adrenaline.” On this song, Budden switches it up with a little Hip-Hop, Rock collaboration. This up-beat tempo definitely gets your adrenaline rushing. The electric guitar sings throughout the song, creating some of the most beautiful riffs. You can’t help but to bop your head to the beat while mouthing its catchy hook. This song was undoubtedly a good look for the album. It shows that Budden isn’t afraid to step outside of the box.
 
I can appreciate the positive messages included on this album, and even his daring decisions to be uniquely creative, but both the beat and rhythm play an majorly important role in a song. The beat is considered the pulse of the music, without it, your song can easily die. Simply put, a lot of the production on this album had a generic and underdeveloped sound. Budden attempted to take risks with his music, which is good, but he neglected one of the the most important aspects, the sound. Dare to be different, Yes. Dare to make a wack album, NO! The greatest part of these tracks for me was their hooks. I was disappointed with this entire album. It is said that Budden hopes that their won’t be a long wait for his third album, I’m hoping he takes all the times that he needs and produces a quality third album worth listening to.