the JOE BUDDEN theory, part 3

*if you haven't already, check out part 1

and

part 2

Fresh off the Roc Da Mic tour, and at the urging of Jay-Z, 50 Cent concocts a scheme to lure Joe Budden into a situation that would divert Joe's attention away from promoting his album and instead focus on beef. Just as Joe's debut was starting to buzz, 50 openly makes comments to many in the media about how he isn't feeling the Budden album, mainly because it lacks street credibility (yeah, it was a while ago).

Joe jumps head first into what he thinks will be a battle with 50, surmising that he may be able to capitalize on beef with a top rapper, just as 50 had done with Ja Rule before he buried his ass only months earlier.

As Joe throws the first couple of jabs at 50, Curtis is ready to unleash his master plan, when he has what looks like a wrench thrown into it. Game, an upstart Compton rapper signed to 50's parent label Aftermath, had been making the mixtape rounds in New York a couple months prior. During his stay in the Big Apple, he's contacted by who else, but DJ Clue to cover a track on his new mixtape. When Game reaches the studio, only Clue and Desert Storm affiliated rapper Stack Bundles are there.

Jump to mid-2003 when the beef looks to be heating up with Joe and 50. Game is now a relevant artist, officially down with G-Unit. Clue sees a way to capitalize off the situation. He immediately takes the vocals that Game and Stack had done and adds a new verse of Joe spitting that subliminal butane at 50. When the mixtape makes the rounds at the NBA All Star Game in LA, 50 who had been smiling for the past eight months finds out and his teeth are visible no more. He immediately confronts a plea copping Game.

To make Game prove his allegiance to G-Unit, 50 directs him to go hard at Budden. Harder than Jerome Bettis on the goal line. Harder than Dr. Dre on a late 80's N.W.A. beat replying to Ice Cube. Harder than Tupac's phlegm on that camera lens...yes harder than Game himself whilst name dropping for over 50 minutes on a fucking album. Game does so, but Joe quickly returns fire at the Compton rapper momentarily, and then focuses on the person he thinks is behind everything, 50. Showing that he's smarter than he appears, Curtis remembers what happened after Ether and refuses to answer Joe directly.

Jay soon contacts 50 Cent and further presses him to take Budden out completely, but by this time the riff between Game and 50 had begun, after Fif is infuriated after a photo of Budden and Game apparently squashing the beef, pops up. Thinking his crew looks weak because of the move, Curtis' teeth aren't very visible for the second time in months. And so he doesn't have time for Jay's agenda, as he's experiencing his own damn problems. At this point, Joe has expended more energy on his beef with Game and 50 than promoting his album, during which time an "influential" force within the Def Jam family had been pushing the label to make Joe's second single a sub par song featuring remix emperor Busta Rhymes. The single is Fire (never EVER to be confused with FIYA) and it bricks --like both of Master P's left feet on Dancing With the Stars. All of a sudden Joe's bright career with Def Jam is now in danger of turning as Bleek as...well, you know.

In 2005, fresh off his newly appointed position as the President of Def Jam, Shawn Carter also known as Jay-Z, is quoted as saying his job now is to find that next rapper who's somewhere writing "some shit." It was now his job to do so, but Shawn had long since been looking for a successor to link himself to as the top commercial commodity in rap. Never being able to hand pick the successor for that spot with anyone on his Roc-A-Fella label without the initiation of Dame Dash (i.e. Kanye West and Cam'Ron, the only other platinum artists on the label, neither whom Jay didn't sign) had frustrated him.

As restructuring at Def Jam begins, Joe Budden is now thinking he may need to find a new home. L.A. Reid, who Joe greatly respects, ensures Joe that things will be different now, mainly based on a conversation he recently had with Carter. He tells Joey that Jay personally had told him he was referring to him as that next rapper, because he admired Joe for spitting back and scorching his eyebrows on the Pump It Up remix comeback. Joe, gushing because he's being told his favorite rapper was singing his praises like they were lines from a Biggie track, totally buys it and decides to stay with Def Jam.

Unaware of the real plot to bury the kid further than Jimmy Hoffa, an excited L.A. Reid calls up Corporate Jigga and informs him they've retained Budden. A more than satisfied Jay, exclaims "YES," as he hangs up the phone, lights up a fresh Cohiba and completes three full revolutions in his executive chair with his chancletas in the air.

Bewildered, DJ Clue throws his hands up in disgust when he finds out and--

Lemme ask you something, reader. Why is it 2006 and Joe Budden, one of the most promising rappers on Def Jam hasn't even a release date for his next album?

"What's the big deal, he only went gold, you say?"
Oh, how soon we all forget about rappers who New York is still trying to find replacements for the likes of Nas and Jay-Z who released debuts that had an even rougher time getting out of the box than Joe's. Back in those days, the West Coast had a firm hold on the charts, today it's Down South. It would have been a damn shame if label execs would've just given up on those two guys because they weren't doing those Snoop Doggy Dogg Soundscan numbers, right?

"He's not that good of a rapper, you say?"
Well, that's subjective, but the fact remains that the guy went gold off year late promotion on his buzz and one single that was tampered with. You can't even seriously count that Fire single against him.

"Because he pushed the album back himself, you say?"
Did you just read what was written about Fire? Okay, now have you heard the single Def Jam pushed him to make, Gangsta Party featuring Nate Dogg? Well, if you haven't, go listen to it and then take into account that would have been his first single.

Furthermore, he really had no choice if you think about it. If you were in the guy's position and you witnessed how the president of your label had totally mishandled albums from artists on his own imprint (Memphis Bleek, Young Gunz, Teairra Mari), would you rush to press?

If you're looking for a conclusion here, there is none. All that can be said is that as of today, the only good thing about the fucked over career of Joe Budden is that he finally realizes what's going on and who's behind it all. You don't believe that either? Well, take a look at the proof puddin' from Joe Jumpoff himself, via Mood Muzik, vol. 2, his recently released mixtape:

-from the track So Serious

Shouldn't be a question about your favorite rapper,
and my label got me questioning my favorite rapper.

-from the track Old School Mouse

Don't hear Reasonable Doubt the same no more,
I can't listen to Blueprint,
got a resentment toward Hov,
tryin' to hate on him,
throwin' in my two cents,
...C-4, why you tape that shit?
but that's how I feel, don't erase that shit.

Maybe, just maybe, there are more truths than theories here...